Of Wind and Sky
by SarahElizabethEaton
Summary: Five years after the war has ended Hermione believes she has picked up all the pieces of herself and has now come back to the castle she called home as the new Transfiguration Professor. What is it, however, that torments Hermione about her past? SSHG romance. Lesbian themes and characters. Trigger warnings apply for physical and mental abuse and non-consensual acts.
1. Chapter 1

Dear Readers,

Before we begin this book I would like to include a forword so everyone knows what they will be reading. Please be aware this work contains graphic depictions of violence, mental and physical abuse, mental illness (PTSD) and non-consensual acts.

I completely understand if that is not for you and I will try and leave trigger warnings at the beginning of chapters that contain such things. Feel free to skip as necessary. I'm open to your questions or PM's to discuss things in the work in more details, or to answer questions. I always appreciate feedback!

As always, thanks for reading!

Sarah

Chapter 1

Rain slammed heavy and unyielding against the heavy brick that lined the castle and despite the magic wards that kept the rain from penetrating the inside of the high tower where Hermione had come to watch the storm that raged over the castle grounds she still felt a shiver of cold run through her.

It was nights like this that she often found her way to the highest tower in the old stone fortress that she had called home since she was 11 years old. Home even after the devastating events of the war that had claimed her youth. Some part of her had never managed to leave the grounds that had been a sanctuary even when the idea of a battle had been nothing more than a child's play fantasy of heroes and villains that could never hurt her. So even when she had left to apprentice in transfiguration she had always intended to come home. Come back to the place where childhood fantasy protected her from the stark reality of how wrong she and all her playmates had been.

No, it was nights like this that matched her true mood, dark and tumultuous in a strangely beautiful way that left her aching with a sense of isolation. For most of wizarding society, the war seemed like forever ago and they had moved on and past it. For her, the five years since she had returned to Hogwarts as a student felt like yesterday. Leaving her walking on the edges of the past as if they were eggshells that constantly splintered under her feet. As hard as she tried to move on from all the death she had witnessed, something kept pulling her back just like the English storms that always returned to rain their power over the country and remind the folk who lived there that nature despite the power they had could never really be tamed.

Perhaps that was the way it simply was, memories came like storms in the night, hot and wild and terrible only to fade again the next morning. Hermione didn't know anymore, but the memories that she lived with, while they kept her from sleeping on nights like this, storm or no, would never be the cause of her downfall. She had decided that far too long ago in the dark days when she was still picking up the pieces of her being and her sense of self.

The wind picked up whipping her cloak and hair around her and despite the wards that held back the wetness she could feel again the fury of the storm and welcomed it. Something about the primal wildness of it soothing her soul and she tossed her head back to the feeling, lowering her own magical inhibition and letting the golden strands of her own power dance out to fly on the wind. It was a parlor trick really, although a dangerous one, there was nothing solid in the spell just a piece of showy wandless magic; but it let her feel the wind, the power in it the elements that powered her own earthbound magic at its core. She could have lost everything to it and it made her feel alive. In the distance, she could hear as the thunder rippled through the clouds followed almost instantly by another flash of lightning and she felt it as if the storm was a part of her own being wild and powerful and free.

That was how he found her. Magic extended to the sky wind tangling in her hair and robes in a way that made him blink and for the first time in his life question if he was looking at a Goddess of wind and storms instead of a woman. For a heartbeat, he was frozen one hand in his pocket as he stared at the vision illuminated in the lighting in such an unearthly way that he was mesmerized by it. Obsidian eyes flicking back the wild magics that flared around her not letting him draw breath into his aching lungs.

And then the spell ended, her magic pulling back into itself leaving her panting audible in the silence, her body arched as if to the sky itself in prayer. He let it happen although he had never let anything continue after curfew in this castle before. Something in the raw power he had just witnessed seeming to shift an aching in his stomach, pawing at feelings he hadn't felt in a long long time. It was natural then that a scowl etched itself onto the lines of his face. Drawing his brows together. Protecting him from whatever emotional impact this impertinent chit of a girl had had on him. Distantly his mind corrected him that she was a woman now, and a member of the Hogwarts staff but the girl was easier to contend with than a woman who could throw her power at the sky for all to see and not lose herself to the ebb and flow of the waves of energy.  
"What are you doing here Miss Granger?" he almost barked it, his voice harsher than he had ever meant it to be. "It is late, and you have class in the morning." they all did, it was the start of a new semester.

He expected her to flinch, or to challenge him at least, everyone did when he used a voice like that and yet, strangely, she didn't. Instead, she slowly turned around, eyes still alight from her use of magic and faced him a small half smile on the edges of her lips as she looked over her dark new colleague. When she said nothing just looked at him in a way that was entirely unsettling he tried again his frown deepening further. "And as for whatever the hell you think you are accomplishing with that spell it's utterly moronic. You will end up insane or a squib. Is that your desire?"

Hermione tilted her head to him gently as if she was seriously considering an answer to his question. For the first time since he had known her, however, she didn't feel compelled to speak. Not in the way he expected her to, instead she answered softly "Goodnight Professor Snape." and turned from the Astronomy tower to walk down the steps and disappear into the night.

Severus blinked, for a moment dumbfounded as he looked after her and then back towards the storm that was starting to die down as if she had drawn the very power from the clouds themselves and into her being. It wasn't possible, at least he didn't think it was. Muggles had tales of mythical beings witches and warlocks who drew their power from the elements, but the wizarding world knew better. They knew that elements were dangerous and untamed, and those who had claimed to harness them before soon found that such things only resulted in death. Hermione couldn't be…

His own thoughts trailed off with a shake of his head. No, the girl was certainly not stupid. Whatever it was that she was playing at tonight he could console himself with that and look into it no further. When his brain corrected him to woman again he once more pushed it aside. He had no business with the new Transfiguration Professor and he intended to keep it that way.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione woke groggily the next morning, rolling over in her bed as her magically charmed alarm mimicked the sunrise and birdsong beside her. She didn't want to wake, not yet, not when the world outside her blankets was cold and dark and the sunshine was only an illusion she cast on herself to forget. Like all clocks, however, it continued to move forward and soon the gentle birdsong became an insistent demand for her to do something about it. With a sigh, she rolled over and then remembered why her alarm was set before the sun would ever rise that morning. It was September 2, the first day of school and Gaia behold she was the teacher. She almost groaned and rolled under the blankets at that very thought. When Minerva had first contacted her after her apprenticeship ended she had been thrilled. A chance to return home, at least the only place she ever considered home anymore.

Now faced with the knowledge that she was about to be responsible for children who were not even her own she was petrified. As she was now headmistress, Minerva had also required someone to become the head of Gryffindor house. Hermione, war hero and former Gryffindor herself was perfect for the role, at least as long as Minerva was concerned. Hermione was unconvinced. In fact, she was so unconvinced that she reached over and turned off the alarm beside her, determined to shut out the world and the vague feeling of nausea that came with it.

Perhaps she would have succeeded had she not outsmarted herself the night before and charmed a second alarm into the device. This one far more annoying and requiring complex spellwork to shut off. Swearing under her breath at her past self for being so industrious she grabbed her wand, pulled herself from bed and muttered the incantations that would shut up the incessant beeping. Shaking her head as if to clear it she headed for the shower and began her morning rituals with a shower that she prayed would chase away the heavy feeling of too little sleep with too early a morning.

It was half-past seven when she dragged herself into the great hall. Hair a riot of somewhat tamed curls that drifted down her back. The shower hadn't exactly woken her but it had made her feel more human. Now the only thought on her mind was strongly brewed English Breakfast Tea.

Snape had been in his chair at the high table for a full half hour by now. Always a morning person by habit he often ate quickly and left just as quickly as he had come from the great hall. Today however he found himself lingering over his breakfast deep in thought about the events of the night before.

It wasn't until he saw her stumble in, hair it's usual riot of curls looking half asleep that he began to relax. Yes, this was the girl he had always known, not some mythical being straight from a silly muggle tale. If perhaps she was a little taller maybe and her face no longer had the pudginess of girlhood that was to be expected, after all, she was into her 20's now, no longer a child, but certainly by his estimation, a girl. He almost shook his head at himself, his trademark scowl appearing on his lips as he looked her over. How could he have been so silly as to see her as anything else the night before?

He was nudged from his thinking by Professor Flitwick who was sitting atop his trademark stack of books. Today numeracy sat at the top and Snape had begun to notice that Flitwick stacked them according to his least favorite in case of damage from spills of course. "You seem less and less impressed by the first day each year Snape. Good god man, perhaps enjoy the last few minutes of silence, eh?"

"What is there to enjoy when we know we are about to get the next small batch of dunderheads?" he drawled over his sausage "Not to mention the ones still attending." Professor Flitwick laughed as if Snape had told a marvelous joke, when he hadn't been joking at all.

"There must be some who at least meet your expectations Snape...surely" he giggled. Snape only shook his head and intoned.

"Rarely." before making a point to pick up that mornings edition of the Daily Prophet. If only so he could disengage from the conversation. This morning's news report, however, almost made him wish he hadn't. It contained the smiling faces of Harry and Ginny Potter as they announced the birth of their son, James Sirius Potter. He couldn't have possibly thought of a worse name for the poor child.

Snape had thought that perhaps after the war was finished the media circus that had surrounded "the boy who lived" would have died down. Such was not the case however if anything it had heightened. What a world he lived in that he had to be tormented by a tiny reincarnation of two men he thoroughly despised.

He was so busy inwardly fuming that the news never reported anything worthwhile anymore that he failed to notice the woman who had taken a seat next to him and was now carefully sipping a cup of very strong tea. At least until he heard her make a noise of, was that disapproval, at the picture on the front of the paper as well. She said nothing else merely went back to sipping her tea but her reaction made Snape curious, hadn't Hermione and Harry been the very best of friends? He almost opened his mouth to inquire when Minerva walked in to begin the extremely long breakfast staff meeting that always accompanied the first day of school, and in the wake of preparing for his newest batch of dunderheads, Severus forgot all about the girl nursing her cup of tea beside him.

The day flew by and Hermione found herself almost run off her feet preparing things that as a student she had never even considered. Three first years had forgotten to pack rather essential items, like their wands, into their trunks and she had to owl their parents for them. Two children had cried non-stop for their Mothers despite being 11 years old, and 4 of the fifth years had already attempted to sneak off the Hogwarts grounds and into the Forbidden Forest to make out earning themselves a months detention with their head of house, who was of course her.

By the time she managed to get the children relatively settled after the sorting ceremony she was ready for bed and still needed to do rounds. She was unbelievably glad that classes didn't start until the next week, and although she had originally believed it was to give the new students time to settle into the school she now suspected it was so the staff didn't go utterly insane.

Dragging herself from a comfortable chair she had lowered herself into in the Gryffindor common area while settling the children into dorms, she made her way to the painting of the Fat Lady who automatically swung aside for her. There was no need for the staff head of house to give the password it seemed. From there she began her walk of the castle, giving out a few demerit points for those still in the hallways even if it was strange to be on the other side of that, she remembered well all the house points she had lost due to her own midnight prowlings.

She almost smirked as a voice to her left down a long hallway reminded her of just that, barking his point deductions in a way that had her shaking her head. The sound of scurrying footsteps almost made her laugh, apparently Severus Snape still terrified the children. He had tried it on her the night before as well, but Hermione had seen far more terrifying things than the stern potions master. He was past the ability to scare her.

When her footsteps turned and she found herself face to face with him once more she nodded her head in differential greeting. A motion he echoed a half second later and at first, he looked as if he might continue down the hallway without either one of them saying a word. It was to Snape's own surprise however that his voice filled the silence that had been left by the scurrying students. "I heard congratulations were in order to your.." there was a slight pause and the word was coated with disdain "Friends.."

Hermione paused and tilted her head to him a single graceful movement that had her curls falling over one shoulder. It was a look she had given him as a girl he remembered when she was trying to figure something out as if the answer to the question eluded her. However, this somehow seemed more grown up. There was a regal posture to the girls baring that had never existed when she had been young. "Pardon me?" she echoed confusion in her voice.

He arched one dark eyebrow at her response studying her for a moment as he wondered if she was playing dumb, however playing dumb and Hermione Granger were oxymorons. The girl, woman his brain annoyingly supplied, before him played dumb almost as often as he did, which was never.

"The Potters, Harry and Ginny." he answered in his low drawl "and their baby…" he said it as if he did believe she was stupid, after all, what else could he be speaking about.

Hermione's eyes widened arching her delicate brows on her features and lifting them beyond her bangs in a way that left her face open. Her body stilled as she tried to discover in his own facial expressions if he was playing some sort of cruel game with her. After all, everyone in the wizarding world KNEW. It had been on the front page of the Daily Prophet for months. Her surprise was masked soon enough and she gave a cold laugh that Severus would never have believed came from someone like her. It echoed in the hallway before her words devoid of emotion came gliding from her lips "If you wish to congratulate the Potters Professor Snape, might I suggest you do it by owl." she let that tiny little half smile dance onto her lips.

Severus paused looking Hermione, unsure of what he had said, and feeling for the second time in two nights as if the look she leveled on him was the most unsettling thing he could experience. However, before he could ask any more questions he found her once again murmuring "Goodnight Professor Snape." in that cold professional way before she turned her robes dancing around her as she disappeared into the night once more.

Letting go of a breath he didn't know he was holding he muttered into the darkness "What the bloody hell is wrong with that girl." his mind, helpfully, supplied that she was absolutely a woman.


	3. Chapter 3

The week came upon the castle quickly. While Snape was kept busy in the potions lab dealing with the set up for a new school year, Hermione was setting up her classroom for the start of the new semester as well. Hermione, ever the perfectionist, looked around the room she had just rearranged for the 7th time and gave a loud sigh running a hand over her tired eyes. She didn't like this arrangement either. How would the children in the back see?

Truth was, of course, that the room arrangement was fine, it was the teacher that was nervous about beginning her new career in education. She was about to move the desks again with a flick of her wand when she heard a noise off to the side of the classroom and turned her head to catch a tall stately figure in the corner of the room.

"I always preferred the desks to be on the floor.." Minerva teased her gently as she watched several of the desks floating in mid-air "But then, perhaps it would aid in teaching charms students how to levitate objects." her eyes danced with amusement and Hermione allowed the desks to lower to the floor with a sigh.

"I was just moving them around Professor." Hermione shook her head although no amusement touched her eyes.

Minerva tisked "Not Professor anymore child, that's your title now. Especially in this room." her lilting Scottish accent seemed to drift over the space but it earned only a humph of noise from the woman who had been arranging the desks yet again. "I remember my first days, I believe I arranged the furniture at least 20 times and wouldn't you know it but the moment those children walked into the room they moved them all around again to be closer to their friends." she chuckled "I had a fourth year period first I believe. I almost transfigured them all into toads."

This did earn a small distant smile from Hermione as she tried to imagine Minerva being at all nervous enough to move the desks around 20 times. She had always been so in control of this room it was difficult to imagine it as anything but hers. This only earned a cackle from the older woman as she shook her head "Don't give me that look, I was young once too and new. I do remember what it is like to start a new career, especially this one."

"You are not old now Headmistress.." and she was surprised to find that she actually believed that. When she was a child the older woman had been ancient. Now however with the lens of adulthood she realized that Minerva was only middle-aged. Still young for a witch who would live well into her hundreds but Minerva waved a hand at her impatiently and went to seat herself in one of the chairs across from Hermione's desk.

"Some days I feel like i'm already 120 but that is not why I came." she reached out tapping the seat across from her for the young professor. "You missed lunch in the Great Hall. I thought we might have a spot of tea and you can tell me how you are settling in." Hermione knew the tone. It was a gentle command, not a request so she sat across from the woman as a silver tea tray appeared on her desk almost instantly, filled with sandwiches and a steaming pot of black tea. She helped herself to one of the sandwiches setting it on a plate without taking a bite before she answered.  
"Well enough.." she rolled her eyes before managing "I can not believe that some of the fifth years have already earned themselves detention.." she sighed as Minerva laughed.

"I doubt it will be for the last time with that group of Mr. Mason's Friends. I seem to recall supervising them last year no less than 20 times." she chuckled "They have a fondness for mischief. You should get along with them well."

Hermione shook her head to her and then answered "I was a child, and a stupid one." she continued "The forest is dangerous they should not be going into it." this made Minerva watch her over the rim of her half-moon spectacles. As if she was studying the young woman for a length of time before she answered.

"Is it?" and took a bite of her sandwich.

"Well of course," Hermione answered "There are dangerous creatures that live in there. The giant spiders and…" she paused trailing off, as she found herself only able to list the one creature that might be dangerous she had ever encountered in the forest. She flicked back through her memory trying to recall a time she had been in actual danger in the woods other than that one. She had faced things far worse since, she had dreamed things far worse and still, she was sure she must be forgetting something. After a time of her racking her brain, Minerva spoke again.

"You will find that teenagers Hermione, love to test the boundaries of what they deem acceptable. It is natural for them, they are not adults and yet they are trying to find their way into a world full of them. Perhaps some of the greatest lessons we can give them are why those boundaries exist." she paused for a moment and then smiled "In a safe and controlled way. The Centaurs and Hogwarts have had an agreement since the beginning of the school. The forest is kept safe of all truly terrible magical creatures by them and they protect those children who wander in alone. In exchange, we provide for their tribe. The forest is forbidden because the children need it to be so." she chuckled "After all, what fun is it to sneak into the friendly forest alone?"

Hermione blinked her sandwich forgotten on her plate the idea that she had actually been safe all those times they had ventured in almost making her angry. She had been duped! She didn't like that one bit. She leaned back with a huff in her chair and glared at the woman over the edge of the desk who only laughed again "Sorry to ruin your favorite memories of mischief." she chuckled "but you were still very brave, a proper Gryffindor." she chuckled again before she sobered "And you will be brave now Hermione. I know you are nervous about classes tomorrow. However, you are a brilliant witch and there is no danger, only the danger you perceive. These children will be lucky to have you as their professor."

"I am not so sure about that Headmistress.." she looked across the desk from her and offered a sigh "we both know my…" she coughed slightly and managed "reputation? You can not possibly tell me that you have not received owls from parents about my presence here on staff." she fitted the woman with a direct look that challenged her to say no. Her back ramrod straight still.

Minerva took a moment to look at the young woman across from her. She had aged in the last five years, and sometimes she wondered if it was for the better. There was a coldness in Hermione Granger now that left her at a distance from others. Something that most people might call regal but Minerva knew was only the mask of one who feared to let others too close to their soul. She had seen it enough times before to call it for what it was, so she opted for the truth. "Yes Hermione, I have had complaints." it wasn't her imagination that the woman's back straightened even more. "But I stand by my decision. You belong here at Hogwarts."

Hermione only nodded her head to that, accepting what she already knew was the truth. She would need to work 12 times as hard just to gain a modicum of respect back if she ever could. Respect. It was a funny word on her tongue now, one that left her bitter and angry. "Very well Headmistress. I will leave such decisions in your hands." she waved her hand as if she did not care about what the woman across from her had said. Minerva was not so easily fooled and she reached out a hand to lay it over Hermione's making the younger woman stiffen. She wasn't used to being touched anymore.

"Hermione," she began "If I listened to the complaints of every parent we would no longer run a school." she chuckled and let a small smile slip onto her lips "For example, did you know that the fumes from the potions cauldrons are dangerous for the health of the teenagers and should be removed immediately? Perhaps we should also disallow cats as familiars as some children have allergies." She shook her head "It is all nonsense. Nonsense that you need not listen to."

"I am hardly in the same category as a cat.." the younger woman drawled in an almost bored tone.

"No dear you are not, and that," she patted her hand again "Is exactly my point. Opinions be damned, Hogwarts has always had the very best of teaching staff and I intend to continue with that tradition." she gave her a very feline-like grin "Although, as another cat lover, I'm sure you will agree the cats are staying too."

Hermione finally managed a chuckle. She, of course, knew it would be impossible to ban cats from Hogwarts. Forget the thousands of years of traditions where cats happily followed around their witches. The Headmistress spent a fair amount of her time as one.

"There," Minerva pronounced "much better. Now eat your sandwiches dear and I will see you in the great hall for dinner this evening." somehow Hermione had the impression that this too was one of Minerva's gentle commands. She nodded her head to say it would be so.

Minerva stood and moved towards the edge of the classroom before turning back with a smile "And don't worry about class tomorrow." she chuckled "I have every faith in you that if you feel the need to transfigure a group of children into frogs, you will be able to change them back." she paused and added "For academic purposes of course." this did earn a laugh from Hermione and as the older witch slipped away she looked at the desk layout deciding that perhaps it could stay just as it was.

So it was that later that night she found her feet moving towards the great hall just in time for supper. She was summoned of course, she wasn't really feeling that hungry but didn't want to disappoint the Headmistress before classes even started. Slipping into her chair at the table she noticed that the Potions Master's was noticeably vacant. It was nice to know she wasn't the only one with the idea to skip meals. She was also glad she wouldn't have to try and speak to him. After their strained conversation in the hallway the other day she had no desire to speak to him at all. How cruel could he possibly be as to speak of Harry and Ginny Potter as if she was their friend?

She had just served herself a small plate of food when she heard murmuring among the students in the hall and looked up to see an owl swoop in. Odd in the timing, she too turned and looked to Professor Flitwick as if to ask why the mail was being delivered at such a time. He only shrugged his shoulders in return and the whole of the Great Hall watched as the owl swooped down in front of Minerva. It was clear in the next ten seconds why the bird was intent of delivering its message now. It was a howler. Hermione frankly had to blink at the gaul of someone who would send a howler to the Headmistress in the middle of dinner, but in the next ten seconds, it was clear why. The envelope as soon as it was presented in the Headmistresses hands opened and began screaming loudly.

"We have sent you numerous letters, and still you refuse to acknowledge that you have hired a MURDERER under the pretense of teaching our children. You will fire her at once or there will be…." the message was silenced as the Headmistress immediately cast a Muffoletto charm around herself and the letter. She might have to hear the contents out, but no one else in the great hall heard what exactly the threat would be.

Hermione felt her back straighten and she lowered her cup slowly to the table. Her face an unreadable mask. All of the students stared at the new Professor waiting to see if there would be some chink in her armor. Some looked on with sympathy, but more it seemed nodded in agreement with the letter. Hermione didn't even flinch, not even when Minerva stood up from the table and raised her wand to her throat so that her voice boomed out over the crowd.

"Let me make this very transparent to each and every one of you present." She fixed a glare on all of the tables seeming to focus mostly on the Slytherin one. "You, your parents, your grandparents, and goddess above the Ministry of Magic does not pick the staff at this school." she paused so that could sink in "-I- pick the staff and each staff member that is here has proven their excellence in their own fields of magic through intense study." she paused again "So if I hear a single whip of anything less than the utmost politeness to our staff I will personally be dealing with you." She glared over her half-moon spectacles " .Clear?" each word was defined with a sharp snap that had even the Slytherins nodding in response.

When the long moment had passed and silence had fallen uncomfortably on the great hall the Headmistress sat down once more seeming more than content to continue on with her dinner. In the back standing among the shadows was the Potions Master who had just come into the room in time to hear the howler and watch in fascination as the contents of the letter were revealed to the hall. He didn't have the foggiest idea what the hell it was yelling about but he did get the strange sense that the newest addition to the staff was somehow involved. Hermione Granger though? A murder? Something was not as it seemed and if there was anything Severus Tobias Snape hated it was not being in possession of information that seemed common knowledge to everyone else.

Rather than deal with rumors and opinion on the subject, he decided that his best course of action would be to go straight to the source of the controversy. His time of being a spy was finished and although he could have slunk around in the dark gathering all the information he wanted on the girl, he had learned that often the truth came from those directly connected to the events. He wasn't interested in the rumors, the Howler had made those clear enough. So he waited until night fell on the Castle and set out in search of the person he knew had rounds that evening. Hermione Granger.

It wasn't long until he found her scolding a first year for being out past curfew and taking house points away. She seemed tired and was short with the child when they complained that it was only a few minutes after the bells. "It's still after the bells" she admonished, "perhaps next time you will have the care to be in your dormitory before they happen." It looked as if the boy would retort something back, but the sight of his looming head of house was enough to send him scurrying before he lost more than just a few house points. Professor Snape ensured that each year the first years were terrified enough of him by day two that he lived up to his moniker of bat of the dungeons. It amused him to be called such.

Turning Hermione looked back to him and arched a brow in question before she spoke "I did not believe you had rounds tonight Professor Snape." although she didn't continue the conversation beyond that point.

"I do not," he answered in his usual silky way. "I came to speak to you." that statement had Hermione arching a brow to him tilting her head in a way that seemed to assess his very actions once more.

"Did you need something Professor Snape?" she turned walking down the hallway she had not yet been down, if he wanted to speak he could follow she supposed.

"I wanted to ask about what happened at dinner." he paused and turned to look to her his long-legged stride falling into place with her own shorter one easily. "With the howler." he supplied although it was likely unnecessary. There was only one major thing that had happened at dinner.

Turning her head Hermione shrugged her shoulders to him although he noticed that her back had gone straight pulling her shoulders back over her spine "What of it?" although she didn't offer any insight into what he was saying.

Again he paused wondering how best to proceed. This was a very different Hermione than he was used to. Once upon a time he would have asked a question and the issue would have been getting the impertinent chit to shut her mouth, now he felt as if he was dragging words from her lips.

He was a private person by nature and he couldn't figure out why it was he continued when she was making it clear with her body language she did not even wish to begin the conversation. He decided it was his own damned curiosity. "Forgive my prying Miss Granger, however, that letter. It called a member of the Hogwarts staff a murder. Since the only new staff member is you I find myself at a loss…"

He was instantly interrupted by her next words and they hissed from her lips with a venom that made him think of parseltongue. It took him by surprise that the words were English instead "If you find yourself at a loss Professor Snape, then perhaps you should save your prying for another person and their welfare." she looked up to him eyes dark with the anger that his words ignited. Of all the members of the Hogwarts staff she had thought that at least HE could keep his opinions to himself. However, first there was his comment about Harry and Ginny and now this. She could barely believe that she was speaking to Severus Snape.

"Miss Granger, stop being such a childish chit." he hissed back offended beyond words that he would take the time out of his day to come looking for her and receive this as a response. "We both know you are no murder so tell me what is happening." he crossed his arms sure that his matter of fact no-nonsense tone would have the desired effect on her. It didn't. It made her laugh instead, a bitter sounding laugh that echoed in the dark hallway.

"And you presume to know something that the rest of the wizarding world doesn't Professor Snape?" she hissed again "or perhaps you are among the many sympathizers." she put a hand to her heart in a mock gesture of gratitude "Here to tell me that it's all been a mistake, that nothing they say is true."

He blinked recoiling from the fury in her gesture and the sarcasm that lived there "Bloody hell you insufferable girl!" he exclaimed surprised by his own fury at her mocking him. Although some part of his mind suggested that had their roles been reversed she would have been getting a similar reception. Damn it all! "I don't have the faintest idea what you are talking about!" he spat reaching out for her arm to stop her before she walked away from him. "Stop walking away!"

He got more than he bargained for when she spun around her emotions so hot that he could see the flecks of golden magic in her eyes. Wild and uncontrolled in a way that reminded him all too clearly of that night in the tower but when she spoke her voice was soft dangerously so "You don't know.." she said evenly before she shook her head and clearly mistook his words to mean he didn't understand why she would not want the pity. "You of all people don't know what it looks like to have others pick sides to decide your innocence when they know less than a quarter of the full story." she scoffed and straighten pulling back the anger until it was a cold wall that he was looking at not the wild untamed fire of before. Her lips pursing together before she said in an almost neutral way. "What they say about me is true. Ron Weasley died at the battle of Hogwarts and I was the one who killed him."

In the wake of that Severus found himself hushed to silence. Surprise obviously etched onto his features. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had made him speechless but the idea of the girl he had known superimposed over this cold and angry woman was making his brain backfire. She didn't wait for him to speak again instead clipping "Do not come to me again with false ideas of who I am Professor Snape. I am not a child and I certainly don't need your comfort. The girl you knew died even before that battle happened." and she turned on her heel to slip off into the silence "Goodnight." was all she left him with indicating that the conversation was finished.  
Severus stood there in the dark hallway longer than he knew his mouth half open as he tried to piece together what it was that had just happened. He found himself more confused than he had been before he had approached the woman but if he was to believe what she had said, Ron Weasley had been murdered by the very woman who had claimed to be his lover. The same hands which one night that seemed so distant now had saved him from dying alone in an old abandoned house.


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione fumed all the way back to her private rooms. It was rare these days that she lost control of her anger, rare that all the pent up emotion came out in a burst of displeasure like that. Again that feeling of walking on eggshells came to the forefront and just when she had begun to feel that the ground was steady under her feet here it was cracking again under the pressure of the past. She moved into the room looking at a bookshelf in the corner half filled with books she was unpacking and swept her hand over it sending an entire shelf of them clattering to the floor with a bang. She continued around the room picking up a lamp and hurling it into the wall, a vase that had sat on the coffee table the next on her list of destruction. Chairs flipped tables overturned until she was breathing heavily and fighting the urge not to cry in place of the anger that had come so violently from her body.

Sitting in the middle of the disarray of her living space she folded her arms around herself breathing heavily until she felt like she was safe to get up, safe to move from the wreckage of her own emotional turmoil into the wreckage of her sitting room when she realized that there was someone else in the room with her. Just watching and waiting for her to come back into herself. "How long have you been there?" the anger was gone from her voice now, instead replaced with a bone-tired sort of weariness that seemed to creep into her pores. She didn't want anyone to see her like this, but it wasn't the first time Minerva had.

"Long enough" came the soft reply although there was no judgment in her tone. There never was. Sometimes Hermione wished she would yell at least that might give her a reason to yell back. "We need to speak Hermione.." and the young woman's shoulders sagged.

"I know, I'm sorry I told you I was better...I just…" she stumbled over the words her hands clutching her arms as she tried to explain what had happened here tonight she couldn't find the words for it and now that the storm had raged from under her skin and over her entire living space she felt the shame that came with it. "Please, I just.."

Minerva knelt down before her and said softly "It has been a long night for all of us Hermione." her voice was still gentle in a way that made her want to cry but she straightened her back and waited. Breath half caught in her throat for Minerva to tell her what she was dreading to hear. That she had changed her mind and would have to look for another professor after all but the words that came next shocked her. "It was a death threat," she said her voice as gentle as it could be. "To you, that was what the Howler said. That if I didn't fire you they would find a way to be rid of you more permanently." the older woman sighed and rubbed her eyes. "We are taking it very seriously, I have already contacted the Aurors."

The scoff from Hermione did nothing to change the demeanor in her voice "Well thank you, perhaps this time they will decide to protect me." which was unlikely given they were now overseen by Percy Weasley. He was no Auror, but he had wormed his way into a ministry position where he made the decisions about protection. Strangely he hadn't ever seemed that concerned if his little brother's murder made it into her next morning. Sighing Hermione pushed herself up off the floor and rubbed her hands over her arms that felt cold "I'll just add it to the list of other threats against the safety of my person."

"You will be safe in the castle Hermione." the voice of the Headmistress reassured her and Hermione shrugged her shoulders indifferently as if the subject they were discussing was not the weight of her own life. She should have been scared, she knew that and yet somehow tonight she couldn't begin to care.

"I shouldn't chaperone the Hogsmeade trips." she said softly instead "If someone were to try something with the children about I cannot promise their safety." Minerva nodded her head at that and then added.

"I am more concerned for your safety but, yes, it would be better if you did not leave the castle grounds until this whole thing blows over." She waved her hand watching as the sitting room began to piece itself back together. Broken objects flying back to their original spaces and mending themselves. "You should get some sleep, classes start in the morning," she said to the woman before her and then turned as if to leave the sitting room but Hermoine's voice stopped her again.

"Minerva.." it was rare she called the woman by her first name, but tonight she needed the connection. "You didn't.." she paused and then cleared her throat she had to know the answer to this question once and for all. "You didn't offer me this job out of pity right?" she paused again her large eyes holding a sense of insecurity she rarely showed these days stumbling before she continued…"B..because you knew I had no place else to go? I know you said earlier you didn't but….." she trailed off unable to finish the sentence and the words just hung suspended in the air.

That stopped the older woman in her tracks and she turned looking at the woman standing in the circle of what had been a destruction zone a moment before. For what felt like too long to Hermione she was silent, and then finally she spoke "No Hermione, I offered you this job for the very reason I said this afternoon and at dinner because you are a damned good witch and each and every one of those children will be lucky to have you teach them." there was a longer pause before she added again "Get some sleep.." and then she pulled open the door and stepped out into the night.

Hermione watched her go her eyes fixed on the door as she left and sighed. She wanted to believe what the Headmistress said yet somehow she had a feeling that if just the right potion was slipped into the woman's tea the truth would not ring the same. Turning to the medicine cabinet in the small bathroom Hermione pulled out a small vial of potion one that she brewed herself fairly frequently. In scrolling lovely handwriting on the side of the vial it read "Dreamless Sleep" and before she could think about how many similar vials she had swallowed in the past she tossed back the contents and headed for her bed.

In his study, Severus was nursing his second glass of firewhiskey. While initially, he had been furious with the chit for daring to yell at him in such a manner when he had gone out of his way to be kind to her now that he was two glasses in he found instead that he was more curious than he had started out. What had he missed when he was in Saint Mungo's all those months? Something important clearly or he wouldn't be sitting here trying to piece together events from a handful of furious clues she had thrown at him. In fact, he would have been able to draw his own conclusions instead of relying on the ravings of insane parents and a girl who bore no resemblance at all the Hermione Granger he had once known.

Perhaps it was true. This cold arrogant woman that appeared with the similarities to a girl he had once known might have been capable of murder but of her own boyfriend? No. It just didn't sit right with him there had to be more to the story of Hermione Granger than that.

Toying with the glass in his hand again he asked himself why it was he cared at all. He was done with the war, done with he who must not be named, done with Dumbledore and his promise to protect the Golden boy who these days only needed protection from the Paparazzi. Hermione had her own life to live and she had made it brilliantly clear that she didn't want him meddling in it. He could respect that, in fact, he even sort of admired it but that damned curiosity just kept getting to him.

Finally looking at the clock he made a decision. He would find out what he missed, so he wasn't in the dark and then leave well enough alone. Settled on a decision he made his way to the bathroom and pulled out a small vial he brewed himself, turning it until he read the scrawled words "Dreamless sleep" on the outside of the vial and tossed it back. Tonight was not a night to revisit the past.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning dawned clear and bright. Too cheerfully for the first day of classes at Hogwarts if you had asked Snape about it. No one, however, bothered to ask him so he kept his opinions on the subject mostly to himself except for his trademark scowl that he used to send children running to first period. If half of them were first years that appeared to be lost in the hallways he couldn't be bothered to care he just wanted them out of his sight.

No, there was nothing to celebrate about the start of a new semester and when he stalked into his potions class slamming the door to the dungeons behind him the 5th years knew that he meant business. None of them argued when he instructed them to begin brewing an especially complex healing potion that would take the duration of the period to complete, assuming they could at all, but although he had _expressly _told them to do so in _silence _he soon heard the whispering of little mutters around the room making him reach a hand up to rub at his brow.

He was just about to stop the conversation with a snap of his tongue when he realized what it was about. Professor Hermione Granger and the howler that had entered the dining room the day before. Now this, at least, piqued his curiosity so before he decided to shut their mouths permanently he moved about the room pretending to look over what was bubbling in the cauldrons and instead listening to the gossip hoping to learn something from it.

"I heard she killed a death eater.." one of the Hufflepuff girls whispered in a way that she clearly thought was soft enough that the Professor could not hear. "That's why she isn't in Azkaban."

"No no.." the other one whispered to her "Mum said it was her boyfriend." and then she giggled "He must have been an awful twat for her to have killed him."

"That makes no sense." hissed back Huffy, Severus couldn't actually remember either of their names. "If she had killed her boyfriend wouldn't she be in prison?" Puffy shook her head to indicate the other girl was wrong and then grinned with her conspiracy of ill gained knowledge.

"Not if she isn't right.." she paused for dramatic effect. "You know…" and she tapped her head to indicate what she meant about that. That was when Severus had heard absolutely enough of the matter. How dare either of these insolent children suggest a professor of the school was mentally incapable!

"Huffy." he looked at girl one "Puffy.." he looked at girl two "You disgrace your house with this conversation. 100 points from Hufflepuff." he glowered at them both and watched them shrink away from him. Good to know that his extra dark look was working today. "Furthermore I will expect a well written essay from you both by the end of the week on the accomplishments of your Transfiguration Professor." he leaned his hands on the desk so that he could be closer to them both "Or do I need to ask the headmistress to come...what were the words she used? Deal with disrespecting her staff personally?" Huffy and Puffy quickly began shaking their heads and neither bothered to correct him on their names. Severus smirked and looked at the cauldron that both children had forgotten while getting their heads respectively torn off.

"Also your potion is ruined, a further 20 points from Hufflepuff for your inattention to class." He watched as the girls gaped open mouthed and took sadistic glee in their obviously feeling hard done by.

No one else dared to talk for the rest of the class and Snape graded papers comfortably in their uncomfortable silence. All in all he felt rather pleased with himself. Perhaps the first day of classes wasn't going to be so bad after all. Besides, he couldn't wait to see what Huffy and Puffy dug up about Hermione Granger for him.

Hermione was not having such luck. She walked into her first year class ready to own the building only to find that teaching was harder than anyone ever prepared her for. Firstly there was a first year boy who decided he knew how to use his wand and didn't need a lesson in how to transfigure a feather into a pencil. This, of course, resulted in one of the other students being sent to the hospital wing to remove the chicken feathers from their ears.

Next, there was the fifth year boy who had an attitude problem. He wanted to know the breakdown of every anatomical principal dealing with the properties of magic before he would just do his damned assignment. It was in that moment that Hermione realized how truely annoying she must have been as a child and with a great heave of a sigh answered his questions as best she could, which really was considerably well, before just handing him a textbook on the principals of one to one atom reconstruction through magic and hoping he would leave her alone until tomorrow.

By the time she made it to lunch she was exhausted and had only made it halfway through the day. As she crawled her way to the head table flopping into the seat beside Professor Snape she was even too tired to be decently annoyed with him for the confrontation the night before. Hot tea was the only thing she wanted and if she didn't put her hands on it immediately there was going to be hell to pay for someone.

It was Flitwick who broke through her cranky single minded sulking and spoke over Snape's shoulder as if he wasn't there "Don't worry Hermione, it does get easier. You just need to make sure you are taking care of yourself." He sounded far too happy for Herimonie's benefit and she shot him a glare that Snape would have been proud of. He cackled, amused at her suffering it seemed to her.

"It doesn't in fact get better." came the silky reply beside her of a voice she was still thoroughly pissed off at. "You just learn to tolerate it."

"Severus stop it you will scare the poor girl away." scolded Flitwick as he leaned back over him to talk to her "Never mind him, he likes being this way you know. You get a good night's sleep after a bath and everything will be good as new."

"Of course." Hermione drawled in a way that had Severus turning his whole body towards her in surprise. It looked for a moment as if he was about to say something, but then decided perhaps wisely that meeting the receiving end of Hermione's anger twice in 24 hours was pushing his luck.

The rest of the meal passed in silence each of the three Professors focused on their own thoughts until the bells rang, far too early in her opinion, to indicate it was time to head back to class. Hermione only had one thought as she stood up from her chair. When did people find time to pee in this profession?

The rest of the afternoon thankfully went much more smoothly for Hermione than the morning had. Either that, or she was better caffeinated so she was less annoyed. She made a mental note to transfigure herself a tea pot for her classroom immediately. It seemed to be a necessity. She looked at all the spellwork sitting on her desk that needed to be graded. She was bone tired and wanted to go to her rooms and pass out, but since that wasn't an option she stayed and began the long process of grading. Shifting in and out of her thoughts as she did.

At the same time Severus had decided to leave grading for the next day. He had more pressing things on his mind, like whatever the hell happened to Hermione Granger. So he stalked out of the dungeons to the library to dig through old copies of the Prophet.

He narrowed the search window down to the time when he had been in Saint Mungo's. He read the papers religiously, not because he believed in the drivial that was inside them but because he loathed getting information second hand. The first few stories from his time in the wards made him gag. "He Who Must Not be Named Confirmed Returned." and "Where is The Boy Who Lived?" shaking his head he scrolled further in not wanting to read that. He had already lived it thank you. There were a few on the battle of Hogwarts and he started strolling past them in a hurry. It was then he saw an article that caught his eye "Ronald Weasley Confirmed Dead at the Battle of Hogwarts." he stopped and flicked open scanning the article.

_Aurors have released the names of the dead today and among them, as this paper had already predicted was the name of Ronald Weasley, aged 18 and member of what this reporter has previously called The Golden Trio. Ronald's body will be laid to rest in the family cemetery alongside his brother at a funeral to be held on Saturday. All those wishing to pay respects to the Weasley Family are kindly asked to forward cards and donations to the Hogwarts Families Fund…. _

The article continued from there mostly talking about the fund set aside for the grieving families of those who had lost children to the War. It didn't answer any of the questions he had been seeking so he continued on. Scrolling through articles from around the same time period until another one popped up "Molly Weasley refuses to comment on Controversy Following her Son Ronald's Death." this one Severus opened.

_Amid the Controversy that follows the death of Ronald Weasley, his Mother, Molly Weasley has refused to speak despite numerous attempts by the Prophet to reach her. For those who are unaware of the current circumstances, Miss Hermione Granger has been charged with his death following numerous witness statements suggesting that Ronald was killed after the battle had ended and not during as was originally believed. _

_Although Aurors refuse to comment on the situation, one source which wishes to remain anonymous has stated that the time of death has been confirmed through magical means. Hermione Granger will stand trial on March 22 before the Wizengamot. It is unclear if she has requested a jury trial at present, although she has been released on bail. _

The paper then continued into speculation about what the trial would look like, but offered Severus with no new real information. He pursed his lips together glaring at the magical archives as if his look might convince it to reveal the secrets he was looking for but then as he flipped through the pages he blinked the system offering him up a new paper. "Granger Trial to be a Closed Trial. No Media access Allowed." Again he flicked this one open.

_In a unanimous decision by the Wizengamot today it has been decided that Hermione Granger's trail for the murder of Ronald Weasley will be a closed affair. So far the Wizengamot has remained closed lipped about the shocking decision, only releasing a statement that it was to prevent possibly contaminating evidence which would be presented at Death Eater trials. _

_Although Miss Granger's trial will be held by jury at the insistence of her lawyers, all jurors have been asked to make an unbreakable vow to keep the trial proceedings confidential. Miss Grangers trial will begin on March 22 and is likely to continue through to Late August. _

The paper began at that point to repeat the story told in the other articles with relatively no new information but when he scrolled past the front page to the opinion section it was double the size it usually was. Rita Skeeter had been moved to editing the opinion piece it seemed, but that didn't stop the little cockroach from having her fair share of shit to spew. All of the opinion pieces had been hand picked to drag Hermione's name through the mud. Each with a new spin on why the Wizengamot would close the trial, and all of course coming to the conclusion that it was because Miss Granger was guilty but they couldn't have her name tarnished publically.

Others speculated on why the Weasley family wouldn't speak. (because they were paid off, of course, by Hermione's extremely wealthy friends and parents.) A few more took the liberty of just outright saying she should have died instead. Severus had to close the opinion section before he was physically ill. All this before the girl was even on trial and the court of public opinion as headed by queen Rita had already judged her guilty.

A few more days and he found an article titled "Weasley Family Breaks Silence" and a picture of Percy Weasley trying his best to look devastated appeared. Severus didn't even bother to read that one, it was clear that it was more of the opinion pieces just this one was wrapped up pretty with the Weasley family name all over it.

Finally, however, he found what he was looking for; the actual trial reporting. There wasn't a lot in the first few days as the courts had been closed and all those involved sworn to silence, but finally near the end of July he found what he was looking for, "Hermione Granger Declared Innocent, Riots in the streets Follow."

_Today Hermione Granger was released from the courthouse after a decision of not guilty was determined by the jury. Immediately following the announcement protests began outside the Ministry that lasted for hours. Protestors are asking for a retrial of Miss Granger and cite corruption in the Ministry as the reason for her release. Details of the riots continued on page 7. _

Innocent. He looked at the word in black and white on the paper followed by the picture, not of Herimonie a free woman, but of the riots that were held demanding her incarceration. She never even had a chance to speak to the crowd for herself. Either she didn't want to or the papers never gave her the chance. Perhaps the Ministry itself never did as it had sworn everyone to silence. To protect what?

Scrolling down more he saw that this continued for weeks on end. "Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt resigns amid fury of Granger trial." "Members of Wizengamot reassure Public that Justice is Served." "Percy Weasley speaks of life after the Murder of his Brother." that one had gall in Severus's opinion considering a jury had just ruled she was innocent but what did that matter if the paper could print otherwise? Headline after headline confirming that a woman who had been found innocent was in fact guilty assaulted him and he had to scroll all the way to September just to get rid of them. He thought he was finished until one more came. "Hermione Granger arrested by Aurors and taken to Saint Mungo's." Servus wasn't even sure he should read it, but he did.

_Miss Hermione Granger the subject of this years scandle within the ministry of Magic has been arrested after attacking Mr Harry Potter and his new wife Mrs. Ginny Potter. Miss Granger has been taken to Saint Mungo's mental illness wards for a full Psychiatric assessment and evaluation at the insistence of Mr. Potter. _

_So far it seems that Mr. Potter and Mrs. Potter are unharmed and refusing to press charges. This reporter will update you on the story as more information becomes available. _

Severus stopped there. He didn't want to see their wild opinions, he didn't want to see them talk about how this was to be expected from a Murderer. Suddenly the weight of what Hermione Granger had been living with for the last five years settled under his skin and he found himself staring at the last headlines bleakley.

Slowly he closed the archives and turned looking at the doors to the library, rubbing the back of his neck. It was dinner time but he wasn't hungry and instead he headed back to the dungeons still lost in thought. As he began to unpack everything he had just read he frowned coming to a realization, he knew a whole lot more about what had happened, yet still he knew nothing at all.


	6. Chapter 6

Two more days passed of Severus digesting the information he had read. Hermione still seemed to be cranky, at best, and he didn't want to disturb her again with the information he had collected. Besides, what good would it do to bring up the Prophets awful and clearly one sided arguments to the woman they had concerned. The issue was that he still didn't know the truth of what had happened.

At the end of the day he once again found himself in the library going through old documents with a sigh, there was nothing new in any of the other news articles for the most part, sadly, they just followed the same stupidity as the Prophet if they didn't outright publish the same news article. He even tried the American, Australian and Canadian magical publications but those were not of much use. Most of them were more wrapped up in the affairs of the American Presidency.

Finally, out of sheer desperation he found himself trying a publication he had sworn never to read, The Quibbler. It was the most ridiculous thing he had ever seen and vaguely he remembered that the daughter of it's editor had been in Hermione's year. What was her name? Yuna, Ava, Rina something ending with an a. She had often been Mr. Longbottom's potions partner. Now that was a name he would never forget since it was synonymous with the utter destruction of his potions lab.

He flipped through the paper and then it clicked LUNA! He felt a sense of triumph at remembering the girls name even if it was only because it was at the very top of an article that had popped out at him. This one read "Hermione Granger saves Harry Potter's Life After Battle." it was dated before any of the Prophet's articles and Severus had a sick feeling that the dreamy girl who never lived in reality had started something she had no control over. He flicked open the article.

_While the world hails Harry Potter as the hero of the battle of Hogwarts one unsung hero stands still! Hermione Granger after the dust had settled in the wake of the battle saved the life of one Mr. Harry Potter by killing a Death Eater disguised as their mutual friend Mr. Ronald Weasley who was intent on taking out not just Miss Granger herself but her friend Harry Potter as well in retribution for the death of his Lord. _

_The foul fiend had used polyjuice potion to disguise himself as Mr. Weasley and was running towards the two when Miss Granger stopped him with a quick and well placed curse, slicing his throat and killing the foul man instantly. It is still a mystery as to who this Death Eater was, but this reporter is just glad that he did not succeed in his task. _

That was it, it was all the girl wrote, and Severus felt his hand shake as he tucked the paper away. Had he just read an account of Hermione killing her boyfriend and one of her best friends or had it really been a Death Eater? It felt like the more he read the less he knew and he growled in frustration before going back to search through the Quibbler with renewed fury. He was going to get to the bottom of this if it was the last thing he ever did!

Mostly the paper said nothing important, it specualted on dragons living in London, of course, and made a very thin case for why the moon was actually made of cheese and the Ministry was attempting to hide it, but finally there came another article that had Severus pausing. This one was again written by Luna. "Ronald Weasley not Dead, but in Hiding."

_Although the Wizarding world has announced the death of Ronald Weasley, this reporter knows for certain that Ronald Weasley is not dead but in hiding recovering from his wounds sustained when he was captured by Death Eaters prior to their attack on Mr. Potter and Miss Grangers life at the battle of Hogwarts. _

_Although the Weasley family refuses to confirm this, as a close personal friend of all those involved, this reporter can reassure the reader that Hermione Granger would never harm a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Ron is in fact safe. _

Severus looked at the words again and he wanted to believe it so badly but he tapped his foot in agitation before continuing his search. Opinions in this paper seemed ot be the exact opposite of the Prophet's but then again they were hand picked by Luna and her family who obviously wanted to protect Hermione. Finally he came the one article that was the same, mostly "Ministry Holds Closed Granger Trial to Protect Death Eaters."

_The Ministry of Magic has announced that it will hold a closed Media Trial for Hermione Granger. When questioned the Ministry stated that it would close the doors to protect evidence which, if leaked, could contaminate the trails of for former Death Eaters. _

_More details will follow as this reporter gains them, however good people of the Quibbler we are sure the truth will come out and Hermione's good name will be cleared of all charges. _

There were several other articles like that, one where Neville Longbottom talked about how amazing Hermione was and how she would never have harmed Ron or Harry in any way. Finally there was the trials end "Ministry clears Hermione Granger of all charges but refuses to release information on Death Eaters. Riot Ensues."

_Hermione Granger after a long legal battle has been cleared of all charges relating to the supposed death of Ronald Weasley, however the Ministry of Magic has refused to release details on the trial or any indication of who it was that attempted to attack Hermione Granger under the guise of her boyfriend. _

_Following the increasing secrecy of the ministry surrounding this trail people have taken to the streets in protest, demanding that the Ministry release the documents so that the people responsible arranging the kidnapping of Mr. Weasley can face justice. The Ministry has stated that Justice has been served and has released no more statements on the matter at this time. This paper will keep you informed. _

Severus tapped his long fingers on the table. It pretty much read the same, the trial was closed, there was a riot. Scrolling through the papers he saw echoes of the same string of events "Minister of Magic Resigns over Handling of Death Eater Information." "Ronald Weasley's hiding location discovered only to be declared empty when Auror's arrive." He chewed the inside of his cheek in annoyance over the same silliness that continued in this paper, until in September there it was. "Grief stricken Hermione Granger escorted to Saint Mungo's for Treatment."

_Following the news of Ronald Weasley's hiding place being empty Hermione Granger grief stricken at the idea of her lover slipping away from her again was escorted by Auror's to Saint Mungo's for treatment. Her friends Harry Potter and Ginny Potter who were present at the time have refused to comment, however have indicated that they hope she gets well soon. _

_After the handling of affairs at the Ministry this summer this paper feels it is it's duty to continue to comment on the severe mishandling of Death Eater trials. This week, Lucius Malfoy was released on bail and has steadfastly insisted that his participation in the war was induced by the Imperius Curse and fear for his wife and young son. More details will follow on the Malfoy case however the Ministry has again steadfastly insisted that it is standard procedure to close all trials to the Media. _

Severus paused there that was all there was on this story, he already knew that there would be no more useful on the subject. Prying into Hermione's mental health seemed an invasion even he wasn't willing to commit. Closing the files he paced agitated in front of them in thought.

"Yes, Alan." Minerva reclined in front of the fireplace in the head office of Hogwarts with a cup of tea in her hands as she spoke to the head of Auror Internal Affairs, one leg crossed easily over the other in a way that still managed to keep her looking well at ease in the conversation. It was late and she had let her dark hair down from the bun she usually kept it in, letting it fall in gentle waves about her shoulders instead. It softened the severe look that her face often held. Her voice however, had lost none of its power. "I understand that Percy Weasley is in charge of Auror protection, which is why I am asking you about this instead. We need someone here to Protect Miss Granger and the children."

"It's hardly that simple Minerva." the disembodied head in the floo spoke back "I can't simply demand it from him. In the last five years he has managed to gain the respect of some very powerful people here. I can not simply walk in and demand he change without a complaint from someone above him. Frankly, it is beginning to trouble me." Minerva leaned forward one of the long sleeves of her silver robes draping over her knee.

"Tell me how." her tone was mellow and her hand came up from her knee to rest on her chin showing him she was listening as she looked directly at the fireplace now. Tea set aside.

"Well, it's like the Ministry is being split from the inside." his eyebrows pulled together in clear thought before he continued "One side that believes in protecting everyone, and one..." he paused and didn't seem like he wanted to say more but Minerva waited him out in silence until he finished "one that believes those who have committed crimes are no longer deserving of such protections." Whatever he had expected it was not the nod of acceptance that came from the woman, as if she had already guessed this was the case.

"I do not think we need to guess which of these two belief systems Percy Weasley prescribes to." Alan nodded his head to affirm her thinking.

"He would never admit to it outright, but if you watch the placement of Auror activity then his design is clear yes. Those with previous Death Eater ties, suspected or actual, are grated the least possible protection if any at all and what public authority would believe or care about the complaints of a former Death Eater."

"He can get away with it with Hermione as well because of the public perception still surrounding her." Minerva supplied before leaning back in the chair and picking up her tea cup again "Nevertheless Alan, I need you to try your best on this. What have you discovered about the Howler I was sent?" Alan's lips thinned when she commented on that.

"Nothing at all, I had some of the people I trust trace the address and it did lead to the woman who signed it at least in name but Minerva, she is dead." he paused long enough for that to sink in. "Recently, yes, but long before that Howler would have been sent to the school." NOw that actually surprised Minerva and she sat up straight in the chair.

"Did you run a Magical signatures charm?" she asked instantly "Or a fingerprinting one?"

"Yes and yes. I'm not a rookie Minerva." he pretended mock insult. They had been friends in Hogwarts and remained so ever since. "Both came back with positives for the woman. Betsy Donovan was her name. She was on our case list about 6 months ago. I'll pull her files but I will need to do it without being noticed." Minerva nodded her head in understanding and then looked at the time.

"I understand, thank you Alan. You know what this means to me." he only nodded his head.

"Ah, ya, you just keep those little brats in the school safe Minerva. My littlest one is there now you know." that made Minerva smile.

"No, she is only 5." although she knew it wasn't true. She had watched Rebecca be sorted into Gryffindor last week with pride.

"Sorry to disillusion you. She is your problem now." he chuckled "but I should get on, wife wants me to start sleeping better something about the heart." he rolled his eyes to show he didn't believe it making Minerva chuckle and glance at the clock again.

"I must be going too Alan, and again, thank you." she smiled and watched as the green glow died down. Sipping her tea she sat still lost in thought until the fireplace flared brightly but this time the face that turned to greet her did not belong to the sardonic middle aged Auror. The smile that found its way onto Minerva's lips was automatic and she felt the tension ease from her body. This would be a conversation she would enjoy.


	7. Chapter 7

The rest of the week went by fairly quickly and Hermione didn't have any more trouble with the kids. Aside from the usual things that honestly didn't really bother her like talking in class and attempting to pass notes they were fairly well behaved. Even Jonathan had seemed to have his overactive need for more information sedated by her offer of a complicated text book although she was sure that would only last through the weekend then he would be back looking for more.

By the time she came up to check on the Gryffindor common room on friday night she was tired but feeling pretty good. That was until she walked into the common area to see things flying, literally they had magic wands, around the room while loud music blared. Tapping her foot she snapped "What in the bloody hell's is going on here?" her voice boomed over the pandamonium only to need to step back quickly as a sofa dropped from mid air with a THUNK at her feet, the two cushions flying into odd angles before they settled down.

"Oh ummmm…" a 5th year girl managed but it was none other than Mr. James Mason that stepped forward with a cheeky grin.

"We were just having a bit of fun Professor. You know that that is right? Fun?" Suddenly Hermione could see how he had earned 20 detentions last year.

"Of course I do." she countered back although she was almost instantly aware that she shouldn't have given him that inch but she didn't want her own Gryffindors to hate her! Maybe if she was nice to them it wouldn't be such a bad thing.

"Awsome." he answered and looked at the sofa's again "We were having a bit of a party to celebrate the first week of classes you know!" he moved to levitate the sofa again

"And showing the first years the real fun that levitation charms can have. You know Professor Flitwick always teaches that first!"

Hermione looked at the sofa and then at the boy again that was it and she sighed "Mr. Mason you know that charm is unstable, it's a simple spell and because of its simplicity it uses very minimal personal magic which is why the first years can cast it successfully." she was about to launch into a professor lecture when suddenly she felt James's hands on her shoulder. That was enough to make her gasp and stop talking. Her whole body stiffening.

"Ya, that's nice Professor, ok have a good night! Bye Bye!" before Hermione could recover from his hands touching her and the way it made everything in her body clench she found herself back outside the fat Lady's painting. She had the distinct impression that she had very much just lost that encounter, but wasn't sure what to do to fix it. Eventually she decided one night of fun wouldn't hurt them too much so she turned and headed back to her own rooms.

Although she worried for most of the night about her handling of that party, when she went to check on the kids early the next morning it seemed that none of them were any worse for the wear despite being a little tired. Maybe they really did need to let loose sometimes. The rest of the weekend passed very quietly. Quietly enough that she actually got all of her grading done and by the time she went to bed on Sunday night she was feeling like she might actually be ok at this teaching thing.

Hermione was beginning to hate her alarm clock. No, hate wasn't a strong enough word she _loathed _it. She had just been enjoying a lovely dreamless sleep where she was nice and warm and safe under the covers of her queen sized bed when she was jerked awake by that damned thing once again. She hit it to silence the birds but just like all the other mornings the alarm was back not long after in a far more demanding fashion that forced her to crawl her way from between the sheets grumbling that she was going to change that one day. She never would of course, her evening self always outsmarted her morning self. Crookshanks promptly moved from the end of the bed where he had been sleeping to steal the warm spot near her pillow and she stuck her tongue out at him. He could stay in bed all day and was likely planning to. She never remembered getting up for school being this hard when she was the student.

By the time she had put her feet in motion towards the great hall she was feeling slightly better, and when she got her tea, she felt her body relax in anticipation. She loved her tea so much now. It was impossible think of facing mornings without the substance. Just when she was considering that solid food might be a good idea too the morning owls began to swoop into the Great Hall delivering letters to all the students and professors who had friends that actually wrote. She ignored them because these days she never got Owls.

It was to her great surprise then that an owl dropped down in front of her plate extending a little talon to Hermione and clearly expecting her to remove the letter attached to her leg. "You have the wrong person." she said to the petite tawny girl but the owl simply cocked wide owl eyes at her and hooted as it hopped closer to relieve it's burden.

With nimble fingers Hermione removed the letter and picked up a piece of bacon giving it to the bird as a treat for performing its service. "Whose little birdy are you?" she asked the owl but received nothing but another large eyed owl look in return before the bird took off again with the others to rest in the owlery.

Curiosity got the better of her and she unfolded the envelope to look at it front and back it had no return to address and the writing on the front was not a scroll that she knew. Turning the envelope over she pulled it open and unfolded the letter inside. It was written in a feminine hand script.

_Hermione Granger, _

_You MURDERESS BITCH! How DARE you think you can escape justice! Do you think you are above the law that you can just walk free after what you did? You are guilty and you know it! You deserve to be dead not him. Don't worry though, soon you can explain to a man too good to be called your lover why you killed him in person. Do not think Hogwarts will protect you! _

_Greta Freefarer _

Hermione read the letter then reread it again and again and again until the words were burned into her mind. She breathed deeply then placed it in her pocket. Her hand shaking. It didn't matter she told herself. It was nothing. She stood up from the table and walked quickly towards the door just as the bell rang and she shut her eyes against the too loud sound. Feeling the tension in her shoulders.

She adjusted her robes when a few children started into the hallway making sure that she was out of the way of them so they didn't accidentally brush into her. She didn't want to be touched, but when she looked up again the halls were full of teenagers all trying to get to class. A sea of faces and black robes that were too close to her. She tried to move out of the way, tried to breath through it but she could feel her heart rate starting to speed up. She moved to a free spot in the hallway determined to catch her breath, her hand crumpling around the letter in her pocket even as she could feel the walls getting closer to her.

Looking up, she saw Ron move towards her in the hallway, and she took a stepback "No.." she whispered to no one making a few students turn around to give her quizzical expressions. She gasped one hand to her chest but when she looked up again Ron was gone.

Fleeing from the space in the corner she made her way towards her classroom, people jostling against her robes, students the size of adults leaving her gasping with the feeling of them being too close to her, around her, behind her. One person nudged her from behind and she turned around finding Ron's face looking back at her again. Without thinking she reached out roughly pushing him away from her only to get a loud "Oi!" in a voice that wasn't Ron's and when she looked again it was just another red haired student.

Her feet lost their balance and she backed up the crowd parting now for the professor who was acting so strangely until she felt her back against the wall. Her hands searched her robe frantically, it was here, it had to be here. Her mind was on overload and she mumbled to herself as her knees gave away "No, no please not again.." she wasn't sure if she said it aloud or not but a semicircle of students had gathered and they were staring. Oh gods, they were all staring at her and she was trapped. Trapped, there was no way out she needed out! Where was it?" she tore at the fabric of her robes looking for that little vial. She finally felt her fingers close on it and she tilted it to her lips swallowing the contents in a single gulp.

A shadow that had come too close to her made her look up, standing over her was Bellatrix LeStrange. She raised her wand at them panic taking her over. How had she gotten past the castle wards? How had she managed to find her again? As she watched Bellatrix's face morphed into Ron's and she was horror stricken as the change took her over. Oh gods, not again. She screamed a high pitched sound that only someone who can manage pure terror makes. Ron raised his wand and Hermione was aware of a white flash coming towards her. Then the world went dark.


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione woke slowly, she felt sore and drained. Licking her lips of the dryness she felt on them she opened her eyes to see the ceiling of the hospital ward that she had been in so many times in her youth it was impossible to not to know it immediately. She tried to recall what had brought her here but her mind felt slow and sluggish like it didn't want to think. She knew this feeling too but at the moment she didn't want to spend the willpower to sort it out.

There was one difference from the times when she had woken in this hospital bed in her youth however. When she had been young she had always known that she would wake up with Ron and Harry standing over her looking worried. In adulthood, they weren't there and the feeling of loneliness that settled into her body mixed with the after effects of the potion she had taken made her blink back tears. She remembered what had happened, right now she wished she didn't. It was only worse that everyone had seen it. Now she lay alone in a hospital ward with no one to blame but herself.

A soft shuffling beside her drew her foggy gaze, and she expected to see Madam Pomfrey coming to check on her but instead she took in the figure of a dark man she never would have expected to see sitting at her bedside with his nose in an advanced healing potions book. His forehead was screwed up in thought and Hermione could almost see his mind working to try and figure out the problem before him. Just then he looked up from the page.

"Ah, you are awake. How do you feel?" She considered the answer to his question. The truth was like shit, but she settled with the more socially acceptable.

"Alright." her voice sounded far away even to her.

"I severely doubt that given that I know the after effects of the potion you took, you will feel groggy for a few more hours." he stated calmly "If you need to go back to sleep I will stay." Hermione couldn't quite process those words and she leaned back on the Pillow. Severus assuming she was going to go back to sleep returning to his book. There was silence in the hospital wing for several minutes while she listened to the little ambient sounds. Water dripped in a tap somewhere and she counted the drops. 9, 10, 11 and then she asked the question she had taken that long to work up the courage to ask.

"Did I hurt anyone?"

"No." came the instant answer.

"Someone cast a spell, I thought…" she trailed off. Severus folded the book and gave her his undivided attention.

"I cast a spell, one around you not on you so that no one would touch you in the state you were in. It was a basic protection spell."

Hermione swallowed a lump forming in her gut. It had happened again and worse it had been in front of all of the students and Severus Snape. He likely thought she was insane. Everyone else did.

"So you.." she trailed off unable to say the words she wanted to say.

"Took you here, yes." he answered. "I did not believe you would have wished to lie unconscious in the hallway until you awakened on your own."

"I'm sorry." she swallowed eyes fixed on her toes in the blacket, she didn't want to see his judgement written on his face. "You had class and I.." Severus immediately interrupted her.

"Do not apologize. I do not wish to ever hear it, nor will I accept it. Those of us who fought in the war left with more wounds than those that could be seen." he frowned deeply and forced his voice to gentle from the accidently harsh reprimand when he saw her recoil into the blankets. "Forgive me, I did not mean to snap, it is simply that." he shifted in his chair "Well, perhaps you are not the only one here who has experienced such things Hermione." He stopped talking and they sat in silence while Hermione digested what he had just told her. Eventually she asked him softly.

"Do you ever see things? Things that are not there, in crowds of people?" Severus took a moment before answering,

"Yes." although he gave her no more details than that and the room lapsed to silence again. It was not an uncomfortable one, just one where they were both taking in what the other had said. It was Hermione who spoke again breaking that silence once more.

"I did not mean to snap at you other day, in the hallway. I was angry and I should not have taken it out on you." Severus shrugged a shoulder and a half smirk played on the edges of his lips.

"Why not? Had you asked the same things of me I most certainly would have snapped at you." Hermione pushed back the covers her torso turning towards him quickly making the tangled nest of her hair fall over one shoulder.

"Then why did you ask me that!" she exclaimed in indignation, making it clear she had apologized because it seemed like the right thing to do in the moment, not because she wasn't still ticked off at him. She wasn't sure if the smirk got even more amused.

"Hermione Granger, all these years and you are still figuring out that I am a right awful prick." that earned him a scoff and then silence as Hermione licked her lips and played with the edges of the blanket.

"I thought you would judge me. Why are you sitting here?" Severus tapped his long fingers on the book sitting on his lap creating a little drumbeat. She thought maybe he wouldn't answer, but he did.

"When I killed Albus Dumbledore something in me changed. I would be walking down the hallways of hogwarts and see him walking through the students." He leaned back in the chair. "I have been angry as long as I can remember Hermione, but this was a different sort of anger. I was angry with him for making me kill him. I was angry with myself for doing it and I missed him so deeply I didn't know how to ever overcome that sort of grief. It was nothing like when Lily died. When Lily died I had him to help me pick up the pieces. Suddenly there was no one who even knew me, the only one who still believed in me was MInerva and she was also grieving for Albus. I think perhaps she blamed me a little bit as well. She didn't want to, but it was there, he was her greatest friend and I was the person who held the wand that ended his life."

Hermione listened in silence knowing he was sharing something with her that he would trust few others with. She couldn't interrupt him now.

"So I tried to hide it." he continued. "I pretended that everything was fine. That I didn't wake up in the middle of the night feeling the curse still on my hands. I pretended that I could go to places I had once been and not feel his presence at my back." he chuckled with no humor. "I was prepared to die Hermione. In that shack, from that snake bite. I welcomed it even because finally I would not longer be tormented by the ghost of Albus Dumbledore and the knowledge that the world hated me for his death. Worse I think I wanted it. In those days I just wanted to be finished. You ruined everything by saving me that night you understand. After that I had to figure out how to live with that sort of guilt." He shook his head "Why were you even carrying that anti-venom potion with you and a port-key to Saint Mungo's?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders and looked at her toes again "It seemed practical when dealing with an evil snake and her more evil Master. I always carried those two things."

Severus shook his head making his messy black hair dance around his forehead as he chuckled "Ah yes, you always were prepared for the apocalypse. Who would have known it would happen in our lifetime?" He watched Hermione toy with the sheets and when she said nothing again he supplied. "You asked why I stayed here today Hermione. It was not because you saved my life. For a long time I was not grateful to you for that. It's because I understand what it is like to wake up and be alone. I do not know what you see when you close your eyes and sometimes when you are waking, but if you want to talk to me I can promise I will listen without judgement." This time he let the silence stretch out between them and he was just about to go back to his book when Hermione spoke almost so quietly he didn't hear.

"I see Ron." she said softly. "And I see Bellatrix. I see Bellatrix becoming Ron and…" she said softly "I remember." she had his full attention again.

"You remember killing her at the Battle of Hogwarts?" he asked her his voice neutral. "While she was disguised as Ronald?" but that earned him a shake of her head and he watched as a tear slipped down her face. She had been in treatment at Saint Mungo's but had she ever really talked about what happened? He doubted it.

"No, I remember her torturing me. Before the battle." a shaky breath passed and she spoke again. "I remember her hands on my body and only pain in their wake. She was so crazy. I thought she was going to kill me, but she didn't. She toyed with me. She enjoyed the fear and when it wasn't her. It was Ron."

Severus paused he still didn't understand what she was saying "Ronald Weasley tortured you?" he was honestly surprised. He didn't think Ronald had that in him, he was a wimpy little follower.

"No." came the answer "Someone did, who looked like him, but I don't know if it was Bellatrix or.." she paused and swallowed a lump in her throat. "Lucius Malfoy." She leaned back against the hospital bed looking miserable now but the words just kept spilling out. Now that they were there she couldn't stop talking it was as if Severus had found a bed of poison that needed to be drained. "And then I killed Ron. He was running towards us after the battle and.." she stopped choking on the words "I..I don't know what happened I just remember the panic and then Ron was lying on the ground. Harry was running towards him. Luna was screaming it was a death Eater, maybe I said something I…." she was crying openly now as she thought about that day fully or the first time in years. "I don't know, I just know that I killed him and I never meant to." she coughed on a sob "I never meant to."

Severus didn't touch her. He knew it wouldn't help so instead he let her cry it out until the tears stopped. "You were in a war situation. You were terrified. You thought all of your friends and you might die. To my understanding you had already watched Harry die and then somehow survive that because that boy is secretly a cat with fucking nine lives. Explain to me how it would have been a normal reaction to see your torturer running towards you and not curse them?"

Suddenly she was angry, how did he not get it and she yelled at him "It was RONALD!" her voice on edge why didn't he blame her, he should blame her. She didn't deserve his forgiveness, or his logic. "It wasn't my torturer, it was my BEST FRIEND!" she dashed a hand across her face angry now that she was crying.

"Yes, it was." he said softly "but your brain had been taught he was a danger and when presented with danger it reacted. If anyone is to blame in this Hermione it is Bellatrix and anyone else foul enough to kidnap an 18 year old girl and torture her using the face of her boyfriend." He let that sink in, until she spoke again.

"I don't want to be forgiven." the tears started flowing from her eyes freely again and she clung to the blankets.

"I know." came the gentle reply from the man who waited patiently beside her bed. He didn't expect her to say anything more, and she didn't, finally drifting back into a troubled sleep that made him wonder how much Dreamless Sleep she had been using to function. Opening his book once more he put his nose into it, continuing his constant vigil at her bedside.


	9. Chapter 9

The next time Hermione woke up it wasn't with the same feeling of grogginess although she still felt emotionally as if her whole body had been placed through a wringer. She couldn't tell if it was a good feeling or a bad feeling, just an empty feeling. Turning to her side she looked for the man who had been there before. The seat was empty, not even a sign of the textbook that had been in his hands and she wondered if she had dreamed the conversation with him earlier. That would make more sense than him staying beside her really. Just then Minerva came around the corner and took the seat beside Hermione. Seeing she was awake she smiled "Ahh Hermione, your awake again. Severus just went down to the Great Hall to get something to eat."

So she hadn't dreamed it after all. She wasn't sure if she was glad she had told him everything or worried now that she couldn't see his face to judge his reaction.

"Did he." she paused trying to form her thoughts "Say anything?" She watched closely as Minerva crossed her legs one over the other.

"No, he didn't Hermione, but then again he rarely says much unless it's to complain." she gave half smile to the woman hoping to reassure her but inwardly Minerva wondered why Hermione would ask. She knew who Severus was as a person. She noticed the tension creep from the girls body. "If you are worried he would spread rumors about you, you shouldn't. Severus Snape is likely better at keeping a secret than a locked diary in Gringotts."

Hermione nodded her head to that, but it wasn't really him spreading secrets around that she was worried about. It was how he would feel about her now that she had told him. Now that he had the truth and he knew for a surety that she really was a murderer. "I'm not worried about him spreading rumors." she answered softly and pushed herself to sit up running a hand over her face in the process. "I just." she shrugged "He picked me up after…" she trailed off again, Minerva already knew after what. "I'm sorry, I know I said I was better." then she remembered how Severus had reacted when she apologized and swallowed hard. She felt like she should apologize but for the first time she noticed that the apology had Minerva's brows drawing together. "Does it bother you when I apologize?" she asked suddenly; making Minerva arch a brow.

"No, it doesn't bother me." came the older woman's answer. "But, Hermione I do not blame you for having panic attacks and before you tell me again that you told me you were better, let me explain that I hired you knowing full well that you had PTSD and it was something that would not go away overnight. You are well enough now to work, but there will still be things that trigger you. We both know that. I suppose really my question is what are you trying to apologize for?"

Hermione had to think about that question. "I suppose I feel like a bother." she said finally. "Everything came to a pause today because I had another meltdown. I could have hurt someone. I did scare the students." Minerva folded her hands on her lap and let her talk it through. "My emotions shouldn't be on display for everyone."

"Tell me something Hermione, if it was a student in the hallway today would you tell them their emotions are unimportant and to hide them? Would you say they were selfish for holding up the school day and accuse them of scaring the others?"

"Of course not!" Hermione instantly retorted.

"Then it seems unfair that you expect me to place that narrative on you does it not?"

Hermione bit her lip. She could have forgiven a child, but could she forgive herself? She didn't know. She expected herself to be stronger. "I'm not a child." She finally said.

"No, you are not a child anymore." answered Minerva "Just a young woman. Who still has emotions and fear and vulnerabilities. What triggered that panic attack this morning?"

Suddenly, Hermione remembered the events before she entered the hallway. She reached a hand into her pocket and found the now crumpled letter that was there. Reluctantly she pulled it from her pocket and handed it over to the Headmistress who read it over quickly. "When did this come?" Minerva asked.

"With the morning owls." came the soft response

"I see. Have you gotten any others?" the Headmistress asked her. Voice calm despite the contents of the letter.

"No, just the one." Hermione sighed "it was a silly thing to over react to."

"It was a death threat Hermione. I do not consider that a silly thing. If you get any more of these I want to be informed immediately." Hermione only nodded her head. "Hermione." she said making the younger woman look up, "this was not your fault. You did nothing to earn this letter."

Hermione wasn't so sure, but tonight while she was feeling like she had been run over by a Muggle bus she wanted so desperately to believe it.

"Poppy said you can leave when you are feeling better Hermione. Would you like some dinner?" Minerva asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I don't think i'm quite up for the Great Hall tonight Headmistress."

"Then let's go eat in your rooms or mine. Come along, I'm older than you are and will soon starve to my death." that made Hermione crack a smile at her.

"You are not old Headmistress." she found herself echoing even as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and noticed that her stomach was feeling rather empty.

"Good I'm glad we finally agree on something." Minerva let her eyes dance as she stood from her chair waiting for Hermione to gather her things. At the very least she could make sure she had a good meal but the letter troubled her more than she let on. She would have to send it to Alan first thing tomorrow.


	10. Chapter 10

Minerva donned her traveling cloak the next morning she needed to see Alan in person. But when she stepped into the auror headquarters inside the ministry of Magic, it was to be greeted by Percy Weasley.

"Hello Minerva." he greeted her his little weasel smile spreading across his feathers. He was the only Weasley she could say actually suited the name.

"I believe that is still Headmistress McGonagall to you Mr. Weasley, unless of course you believe you have done something to earn the use of my first name?" this had him taking a step back and fury crossed his face. If there was anything that Percy hated it was being reminded that he was not someones equal.

"I am no longer your student." he hissed in a rush of anger.

"No, " she answered "A pity, I would give you detention for your lack of respect to a Lady." again she watched as his cheeks turned an even deeper unbecoming shade of red before he snapped.

"What can I do for you, _ Headmistress McGonagall _?" there was just enough emphasis on the last words to make it clear there was no respect behind them, but Minerva ignored it instead answering.

"I'm here to see Alan Murphy, is he in today?" she offered her voice neutral.

"What could you possibly want with our head of internal affairs?" came the half shocked answer. "You can't just come in here and demand to see him, he is a busy man."

"Perhaps, Mr. Weasley you should let him decide for himself exactly how busy he is. Go pass my message along. I will wait." She had known that treating him as an errand boy would only serve to anger him more but she did sort of realish the purple look his face turned at her suggestion.

"He is not in today." Percy practically seethed. "He is attending an event. A very upscale one, if you must know, at the Chambers residence." he watched with pleasure as Minerva arched an eyebrow.

"Of forgive me." Percy mocked "Were you not _ invited _ ?" he sneered "I would have thought for sure that a _ Lady _such as yourself would have been." Whatever he was attempting however just made Minerva smirk and answer mildly.

"Oh I am sure I am invited." she chuckled "I was more wondering what you were still doing here." she tilted her head "Since it's such an important event." She hadn't known until that moment that people could turn that colour of purple.

"I well.." he stammered trying to puff himself up in his self importance, "I WAS, I am, it's just I see, SOMEONE has to work!" he exclaimed.

"That is true, and I am sure you are doing your very best to protect all citizens of the public," she answered her voice mild. "Do have a good day Percy." and she turned on her heal to leave. Very aware that if a look could curse you she would be a dead woman.

Minerva hurried back home and dressed for a formal event. She prayed she was in the right outfit but she was sure that the suit jacket, tie and dress pants she put on would carry her through whatever event it was that was happening. It was just formal enough to be formal and with a few minor adjustments she could make it feel much more relaxed. Reaching up she let her hair down around her shoulders letting the dark locks fall to soft waves. The final touch before she slipped through the floo calling out the Chambers residence.

She was surprised when she appeared in the massive ballroom, the Chambers House was larger than Malfoy Manor by far, and it could easily sustain the number of guests in attendance which seemed to be all of the wealthy wizarding society plus those like Percy who were social climbers. Minerva usually avoided events like this, simply because she fit into neither of those categories. That said, there was the rare time when she was forced to attend one for the sake of fundraising for Hogwarts, or other personal matters, like this one. Almost immediately a young house elf popped in dressed in a purple gown that came down to her knee.

"Welcome to Chambers House, you is Headmistress McGonagall, you is?" the little elf questioned and when Minerva nodded the little elf brightened.

"Oh Minny is pleased to meet you Miss she is! Minny heard when Miss took over Hogwarts." she squeeked. "Does Mistress wish to be introduced to Master and Mistress Chambers?" Minny inquired but MInerva shook her head.

"No Minny there is no need to trouble them. I will not be here long." She watched the elf pout at that." Did you happen to see Alan Murphy come in?" at that the elf giggled before answering.

"Mr. Murphy with Mistress and Master he is, he is! Come, Minny do her duty and present you to Master and Mistress and maybe Headmistress stay and enjoy party. Mistress spent the last two days planning with Minny, she did, she did! Minny bring you a drink!" somehow Minerva got the sense that saying no to the little happy bobbing ears wasn't going to happen so she laughed.

"Alright Minny." she allowed her hand to be taken and dragged across the ballroom floor into one of the many side rooms that attached to it. The space had been designed for 18th century England and had room after room that came off the main dancing space to facilitate things like card games for the gentlemen and sitting rooms for the ladies. Now it was not quite so separate but the spaces functioned as overflow rooms for those wishing to get away from the crowd and it was here that Minny dragged Minerva.

"Come come Mistress and Master this way." but Minerva had already spotted them. No one could mistake Lady Chambers. She was beautiful and well known for that beauty. Her long red hair was down in a wave that pulled to curls at the bottom, falling like a curtain to the lower part of her back nearly reaching her waistline. The dark green dress she was wearing made the colour of her hair stand out even more, in contrast to the pale flawlessness of her skin. The Dress trailed to the floor, well tailored and obviously expensive in a way that suited her perfectly. She was laughing as she spoke with someone, her small movements indicating her interest in the conversation but she was facing away from them towards the fireplace. Minarva didn't have to see her face to know what expression it held. A radiant smile that made each person near her feel as if they were the center of the universe.

Minny tugged Minerva's hand again and she was aware that she had paused but she followed easily along after Minny.

"The Ministry could really use some tidying up I would say." Minerva walked in on the conversation already happening. The speaker was the man with a smile and an arm wrapped around the waist of Lady Chambers. "Elizabeth actually had some good ideas on the subject, didn't you darling." he turned speaking to the woman. Minerva knew who he was too, Lord Chambers was a notable figure at all charitable events. He had money and spent it generously. Hogwarts received a more than sizable donation from him each year since he graduated. Despite his wealth he worked as an Auror alongside Percy Weasley which only seemed to add a roguish charm to his already refined demenier and dark haired handsome good looks. Before he had married Elizabeth he had been perhaps the most sought after bachelor in wizarding society. Even now there were ladies present who couldn't help but hang on his every word.

If Elizabeth noticed she didn't seem to mind because her attention had turned to focus solely on the woman walking toward the group. The suit she wore was tailored perfectly hugging her subtle curves while outlining the elegant line of her body and she moved with an easy confidence that seemed almost accidental. "Minerva?" she managed in surprise her name tinged with her very proper Queen's English accent. Her husband interrupted her with a grin.

"Oh, Minerva!" he echoed brightly, "I didn't know you could make it today. We are so excited you are here!" There was a warmth to his tone that others responded to easily and his eyes danced with amusement "I thought you would be containing our newest batch of young minds." he chuckled "But I have to say I'm glad you are here. It's been a while since we have seen you."

"It's good to see you too Malcolm." Minerva turned and smiled to his wife "And you Elizabeth. I know it's been a while since I have attended one of your parties." in fact, she could think of exactly the last one she had attended. "Sadly, I can't stay long, not today." she smiled and sipped the glass of champagne that had somehow appeared in her hand curtsey of Minny. "I noticed you have a new house elf though, Minny."

"Yes, we do." Malcolm nodded "She is one of Elizabeth's foundlings. Poor thing was thrown out of her last home with nowhere to go. Elizabeth treated her injuries and we took her in."

"Speaking of treating wounds are you still working at Saint Mungo's Elizabeth?" Alan asked conversationally his own arm wrapping easily around his wife when she came back to join them from somewhere else in the room. Elizabeth nodded her head to that.

"Yes, but only part time now." she offered a smile one long fingered hand on her champagne glass. "There is so much to oversee with the hall and.." Malcolm interrupted her.

"And we are trying to have a baby." He grinned to the crowd squeezing Elizabeth's side tighter to him, she gave a tight lipped smile in return and looked at the floor, which made Alan laugh.

"You old dog.." he reached out slapping Malcolm's shoulder good naturedly "Look you went and embarrassed your lovely wife.." he grinned and turned down to his own bride who he still thought could rival even Elizabeth's beauty "What do you think shall we have another now that Rebecca is out of the house most of the year?" his eyes danced with amusement even as he dodged the playful slap from Catherine.

"No, thank you we just got our freedom back." she laughed but turned to Elizabeth "But congratulations to you both, I'm so excited for you. I hope it happens soon. Children are really the most wonderful thing, especially when they are Minerva's challenge for 10 months of the year."

Minerva offered a smile in return one that didn't touch her eyes "Oh, they are not such a bother as you all make them out to be." She chuckled "Babies I am sure really are the most wonderful thing." she relaxed her hand on the wine glass and then turned to Alan. "Alan could I have a word with you in private please?" she turned back to Catherine, "Assuming Catherine says it's alright. I wouldn't want to get you slapped again." that made Catherine laugh and nod her head as she untangled herself from her husband's arm.

"Go ahead." she laughed and smiled to MInerva "But you will come for dinner soon won't you Minerva? It's been a while since I have seen you." this had Minerva nodding her head and leaning over to give Catherine a friendly peck on the cheek

"Of course, I would like nothing more. Send me an owl with the time and date and I will make sure I am free." Catherine nodded in return and allowed MInerva to slip away from the crowd to a quiet place after giving Elizabeth and Malcolm a nod.

"What's up?" Alan asked when they were parted from the crowd looking MInerva over head to toe in concern. "If you grip that glass any tighter you are going to ruin your nice suit." He sipped from his own glass of champagne as he made his point.

Minerva made an effort to rela her fingers again, he was right she was going to break the glass soon. So she sighed. "This came for Hermione yesterday. I tried to drop it off at your office but your personal watchdog Percy Weasley told me you were here." she handed him the letter and waited while he scanned the contents tossing back the rest of her Champagne in the silence.

"Shit.." he managed and folded the letter carefully putting it in his coat. "Minerva, look i'm sorry I'm working as fast as I can to get her someone." he let the sentence trail off "This is the only one?"

"That and the howler yes." she answered and Alan sighed scraping a hand through his short hair.

"I'll get on it ok, see if we can at least trace this one." Minerva nodded her head.

"I know you are working on it. I know you are trying your best. I am just worried." the woman answered with a sigh and another look towards Catherine and the people she was still talking too, Elizabeth and Malcolm still seemed lost in the conversation offering good natured smiles to Catherine as she spoke. Alan nodded his head to her and then reached out to hug her.

"You are a good woman Minerva Mcgonagall. I hope you know that." he spoke.

"I'm not a particularly good person Alan." she turned back to look at her friend. "Just one who wants to protect someone." she set the empty wine glass down, "Besides, you are the one doing all the work." she chuckled. "I have to head back to the school though." which made Alan nod.

"Of course, take care and tell Rebecca her Mum and Dad say hi." that made Minerva smile.

"I will." she promised before heading back to the floo and heading back to Hogwarts.

Alan joined the group again just as Malcolm was slipping away from his wife to use the restroom. Slipping his arm back around Catherine he smiled to Elizabeth as she gave him a quizzical expression and asked "Where did Minerva head off to?" Alan answered with a shrug.

"Back to Hogwarts, she said she couldn't stay long, school business I assume." he answered before turning to Catherine again "I made her promise she would say hi to Becca for us." earning him a smile from his wife. Elizabeth nodded her head seeming to accept that and they continued chatting for another few minutes before suddenly she put a hand to her head.

"Forgive me." she managed softly "I am suddenly feeling very lightheaded. I think I need out of this room for a moment. Would you tell Malcolm when he returns that I slipped off for a moment?" She asked him. Alan and Catherine both frowned and nodded looking worried.

"Can we get you something?" Catherine asked "Water perhaps?"

"No no, " Elizabeth answered "It's just the party." she smiled brightly again. "I will be more than fine." which earned a concerned nod from both.

"Well alright." Alan answered "Feel better." She nodded her head and slipped away, the flash of green silk Disappearing in the crowd. A few minutes later Malcolm returned and looked around for his wife.

"Where did Elizabeth head off too?" he asked Alan when he couldn't find her in the immediate crowd.

"She wasn't feeling well" Catherine said softly "Said she was going to lie down." this made Malcolm frown.

"Not feeling well?" he stated and turned looking behind him "Ah, that hospital gives her the worst germs. This is why I want her to quit before we have a baby. I will go and check on her soon." he raised his glass to his lips again. "Thanks for looking after her." he turned back to the two again smiling an easy smile.

"Our pleasure." Alan nodded before he chuckled to Catherine. "You know Catherine I seem to remember you feeling a little light headed with our first.." he trailed off suggestingly budging his wife's side.

"Oh stop!" his wife answered but both of them grinned in unison of the possibility to Malcolm.

Before he could get too swept away with his wife Alan seemed to remember the contents of his pocket. "Tell me Malcolm, do you know if Mr. Potter has arrived yet?


	11. Chapter 11

Minerva stepped through the fireplace immediately reaching up to loosen the tie that was around her neck letting it hang loose half way down her chest. She popped open the buttons of her suit Jacket then reached for the top few buttons of her white blouse ending the torment of the too tight shirt. When she was finally comfortable she made her way from the fireplace into the kitchen. There was a bottle of wine on the kitchen counter and without even thinking she reached out to open it pulling a glass from the cupboard and pouring a good amount of the red wine into it. She hated those parties, especially the ones at Chambers House. Leaning back against the counter she stretched her legs in front of her. Crossing one arm over her chest and sipping from the wine glass.

She was startled by the green flames that flickered in the main room to indicate someone was in the floo. It had to be Alan wanting to talk to her still, very few people had her private rooms connected to their own floo network but Alan was one of them simply because of the length of their friendship. "Come in." she called out when the flames died down from the green to their normal orange glow but it was not Alan who stepped into the kitchen. It was Elizabeth.

"Beth." Minerva cocked her head clearly surprised that the woman had come to the castle. Now of all times. "What in the name of the good Goddess are you doing here? You are hosting a party right now."

"I came to check on you." came the soft answer from the beautiful redhead which only earned her a quick

"I'm fine." from Minerva.

"No you are not." Beth continued as she stepped closer to her her body holding a tension in it just from the way Minerva was acting "You have been avoiding my parties since the Christmas one last year." she frowned gently. "Then you come today suddenly, why?"

Minerva took a great breath she didn't want to have this conversation. "I needed something from Alan." she answered sipping the wine in the glass she was holding although she didn't offer Beth any in return. "If I hadn't needed it immediately I would not have gone. I remember now why I avoid them."

"You are angry with me." Beth stated, she knew Minerva well enough to call it a truth. The tense lines of her body, the way she leaned against the kitchen counter crossing her limbs one over the other all told her the story that the closed lipped woman would not voice. She always had to be in control, even of herself.

"I am not angry with you." Minerva stated although she didn't move from her spot against the counter where she watched the figment of another world move around her kitchen. She seemed out of place here in that silk green dress that likely cost more than most people in Hogwarts made in a month. But when Beth just continued to look at her she relented. "I am angry with myself for going today when I know what I am going to see." she paused "and hear."

"Your talking about what Malcolm said about a baby." Beth answered for her more of a statement than a question and then she stepped forward, "Minerva, I do not know why he said that. He has been pushing since we were married and I have always put him off." she spoke with no anger in her voice taking another tentative step, now close enough that Minerva could smell her passion flower perfume. Somehow Beth being this close to her always made something inside her body leap and she had to stop herself from taking Beth in her arms.

"It seems like something he would want." Minerva sipped from the glass looking at Beth over the rim "You are after all his wife." and Beth shook her head to Minera. Her brow furrowing.

"I do not want his baby Minerva, he can ask me all he wants and I will continue to say no." she moved towards the other woman taking her hand and saying softly "I do not love him and I never will, in a few years my marriage contracts binding will end and I will be free to leave." Minerva sighed she wanted to be angry but the depth of hurt in Beth's green eyes as she said this made Minerva take her in her arms.

"I know." she whispered against Beth's ear closing her eyes as she inhaled the scent of her. Warm and intoxicating as it always was. "I just hate pretending and I hate that contract your family forced you to sign. Why do Purebloods always have to do things so damn complicated and old fashioned?" That made Beth giggle against chest.

"Says the Mistress of Hogwarts who stands on the grounds hallowed for their traditions and old fashioned customs." she teased but it eased the tension in Minerva's body. Stepping back she released the hug and looked over Beth appraisingly.

"How long have you been gone?" she continued to watch Beth's movements. Something flickering in the depth of her gaze now that was almost feral. She was still angry and it coiled hot under the edges of her skin. Not at Beth, no never at her really, but there she stood in an evening gown that mocked their separation and she had a sudden primal urge to fix it.

"Not long." Beth whispered a heat suddenly spreading low in her stomach when Minerva looked at her like that as if she was imagining what the dress would look like on the floor instead of on her body.

"Good." came the immediate answer as she finished off the wine and looked down the length of the green silk again. It was expensive and she was going to enjoy this. "Because you understand you are far too overdressed for my kitchen." A smirk appeared on the edges of her lips as she watched Beth's eyes go from shocked at her statement to curious to hot with lust as she figured out what Minerva was suggesting.

"S..should I?" she stammered although she didn't mean to, it was the look that Minerva was giving her that made her unable to form words. Gods she hadn't even touched her yet and already Beth knew that she would give her anything she wanted, or desired. Anything at all. She had never been able to help herself when it came to Minerva. She was addictive, in the same way breathing was addictive.

"Let me." came the slow heated answer and in the next second Beth found herself against the wall of the kitchen, Minerva's lips on hers as she arched her back, gasping her pleasure into her body. Minerva used her gasp to take more and when her tongue dipped inside her mouth, trailing to explore and dancing across the corners of her lips, Beth was sure her knees were going to give out from the pleasure of it. This was what she wanted. It was what she needed and she clung to Minerva as if she was a lifeline. Perhaps she was, she knew she couldn't stand anymore.

Minerva grabbed the dress, roughly, and she took out all of the anger from before on the fabric, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction as she heard the telltale rip of silk strands disconnecting and watched with a crooked smile as it split from neck to navel exposing her lovers body. She broke the kiss then, just watching Beth as she panted with desperation and surprise at the loss of contact, her body bared to Minerva's gaze as only scraps of green fabric clung to her skin, and her naked breasts heaved with the effort to take a breath. When she heard Beth let out a mewl of heated protest she finally leaned in to whisper in her ear "You are beautiful, even more beautiful like this and I am going to make love to every fucking inch of you until you forget how to stand."

It was only a gasp that Beth could give in response, her body instantly turning to molten fire in the wake of the dark promise "please." was all she managed a hot and desperate word that seemed to come from deep within her. "I want you." she felt the dress slip to the floor leaving her bare to Minerva's touch but it wasn't enough when her heated skin found clothing instead of Minerva against her. It was then she tugged at Minerva in return pulling her jacket from her shoulders until it was lying in a pile with what remained of her dress fingers frantically working on the buttons of her shirt.

She didn't get it all the way off before Minerva pinned her hands and teased "Don't be impatient." nipping at her neck as she said it in a way that made made Beth whimper and lean her head back pushing her chest forward so that her breasts pressed against her lovers chest leaving her nipples to harden when they dragged against the uneven fabric of the blouse.

"Please Minerva, please." she gasped trembling with the desire that ran hot through her body to pool between her legs and when Minerva's mouth slipped lower to take one exposed nipple between her lips, rolling it on her tongue she cried out with the sensation, making Minerva laugh almost darkly against her skin and bite down while sucking hard until she got an ecstatic shiver in response and Beth was fighting her for control of her hands back. The only response she gave to Beth's wrists suddenly pulling inside her grip was to take the other breast in her mouth and begin to provide it with the same treatment the first one had received.

When she pulled back her head and looked at the writhing mess of her lover she was thrilled. Beth stood naked arms pinned wide and held in her hands, nipples swollen with the attentions of her mouth and panting in a way that said she was desperate for more. Instead of just giving it to her she leaned in close, "Tell me what you want Beth." the words tickled her neck and she nipped at her earlobe while she said it. The passion flower smell was beginning to overtake the room leaving Minerva's senses reeling from it. Her suit was starting to feel too tight against her skin although the feeling of this proper and upright woman desperately begging for her almost made the torment worth it.

"You, please, please Minerva I want you.." came the response that was so needy even Beth could feel it in her own ears. This was a beautiful torment, the kind that made her ache from the inside out and feel like she was going to die at any moment if she didn't ease the desire building inside her. "Please, please.." her begging only got more insistent but the woman holding her laughed again.

"But you have me. My full attention." she said softly leaning down to graze teeth over an exposed nipple. "Do you want this?" she asked against her skin. Her mouth traveling lower to nip at her belly button "Or this?" her hands slipped from Beths before she moved even lower on her body looking up to catch the green eyes and hold them when she nippled the inside of her thigh. She spoke in a voice that was low and sensaual "Or this.." her tongue moved out to tease at the entrance to her as Beth spread her thighs. Tasting the slickness of her lovers arousal and feeling her responding moan to her core.

"That...please yes oh!" and Beth felt like she was going to faint the moment that Minerva's tongue began to explore her more insistently. One of her legs wrapped over her shoulders to steady herself and she shivered when she felt her suck everything into her mouth and toy with the little nub of pleasure that Minerva so expertly found over and over again. "OH - OH MINERVA YES!" She screamed one hand going to her lovers hair "Don't fucking stop!" she rocked her hips into the movement unsteady from the position against the wall and a whimper escaped her lips when she realised she was at Minerva's whims entirely. She gasped again desperately seeking more. Tonight this was not nearly enough.

Minerva couldn't contain herself anymore either, the feeling and taste of Beth's slickness on her tongue and her moans in her ear was the most powerful aphrodisiac that existed. She wanted her, all of her, she wanted to claim her moans of pleasure and her little cries of encouragement. She wanted to know what it was like to make her scream for more and then give her everything beyond that. She slipped her from her position on the wall to the floor and her hands now freed from holding her up stripped the rest of her own clothing from her skin, her mouth not giving Beth a break even as she did, but only this much contact left her incomplete tonight when she wanted everything. Breaking the intimate kiss she crawled up her lovers body again feeling her wrythe against her now naked form and taking pleasure from the touch of her. Skin against skin. Her head throwing itself back in pleasure when Beth's hips arched against her own in an insistent demanding plea.

"Minerva, please, please I need.." her lover gasped under her the desperation clear in her voice "I need you inside me, please, I want to feel you." and Minerva was only too happy to oblige. She leaned in kissing her again letting her taste herself on her tongue with every movement against her and then, wrapping Beth's leg over her hip she slipped two fingers instead her. Deep enough that she was sure it would make her scream and curving them upwards so she got just that exact right spot that made her moan every time. She was almost, almost satisfied when she was rewarded with exactly that moan she had been looking for, hot and anxious inside the kiss that Minerva had no intention of breaking now.

It was then that she moved, deep long strokes inside her body that had Beth cresting and falling with the waves of them. Her hands long ago left to their own devices now found Minerva's back pulling her closer and deeper as she screamed her pleasure to the sky. More, more...it was all her brain could think but she couldn't say a word because she was lost to the frantic kiss that matched the deep thrusting movements of her fingers inside her. Finally she felt it, that building at the base of her spine that made her only arch more and her lover always in tune with her needs only supplied the deeper longer thrusts that she wanted. Her back lifted fully off the floor as Minerva finally broke the kiss to whisper against her ear "Cum for me.." and like an explosion that Beth could never hold at bay she crested one last wave before her body exploded splitting her into tiny fractals of pleasure that tingled all the way to her fingertips and toes and made her claw hard at Minerva's back. Dimly she was aware of Minerva biting down on her neck, the pain of that mingling with the deep sense of release before Minerva trembled too crying out her own triumph in her ear and both collapsed panting on the kitchen floor tangled in each other's limbs.


	12. Chapter 12

Beth wasn't sure how long it took them to make it to the bed. She did know that Minerva's original promise of fucking her until she forgot how to stand was accurate, however. When she came down from the heights of pleasure that she had reached, gasping desperate intakes of breath Minerva had simply begun moving slowly inside her again coaxing her gently this time to new ecstasy that had her scratching claw marks into her back desperately for more. There was never enough when it came to this woman. "I love you." she had whispered over and over again when the violence of their first lovemaking had turned to something gentler and both of them had found release and comfort in the other one's arms.

She hadn't meant to fall asleep tangled in her embrace either, but when her body could no longer sustain pleasure it found the need to wrap around the woman holding her. For the first time in too long drifting into a peaceful sleep with Minerva still stroking her now tangled hair that spread about both of them like silk.

When she woke again, she didn't know how long later, Minerva was sleeping, sprawled naked on the bed with the covers half around her. It took everything Beth had in her to leave but she had already been gone far too long and she knew it. The party would be long over and it was late in the evening if not early morning.

Finding her dress, Beth looked at the ruined remains of it. A quick charm made it wearable again but it would never be the same the fabric was stretched and pulled in ways that even charms couldn't fix. She couldn't find it in her soul to be sad about the dress however, in fact, it made her smile as she slipped the silk over her shoulders and felt it caress down her thighs. Just that had her shiver with need again and consider waking up Minerva for a repeat, but then she remembered why she was getting dressed at all. She had to go.

Quietly she slipped through the fireplace. Making sure to call out Chamber's residence and specify her room in the manner. She didn't need to land in the main ballroom by mistake. She had made sure to ward her room thoroughly before stepping into the fire earlier and she was glad not for the first time that it was commonplace in these old houses for the two Master's to be separate.

The only response to her landing was the soft questioning "merow" from her black familiar as she voiced her surprise at her Mistress landing in that specific fireplace. She walked over to pet Calista gently soothing her as she changed into a nightgown and pulled her silk black dressing gown over it, leaving her feet bare, then lowered the wards and listened; silence. She was sure that meant the party was over and looking at the clock she realized it was late, Malcolm had likely already gone to bed.

She should have done the same but she was agitated, she wanted to go for a walk in the gardens. The warm September night invited her out into the garden and somehow the idea of returning to her bed alone was not something she could consider at the moment. Setting a foot in the hallway she drifted about the house like a specter herself. Not making a noise in the upstairs as she crept down the main staircase.

At the bottom, she was surprised to find Minny appear. "Mistress.." the little elf gasped "Oh Mistress, no no, you must come with Minny back upstairs." she reached out to take Beth's hand trying to hurry her back the way she had come, but it was too late and she heard a voice call out.

"Elizabeth, a word." it was Malcolm's voice and the elf froze turning and looking up at Beth in a way that said she was sorry before she popped out of sight. It came from his study. A room she rarely saw the inside of. Suddenly she missed the presence of Minny in her hand but she straightened her back and walked into the masculine room fighting against the tremble of fear she felt building in her bones.

Malcolm sat in his armchair facing the fire one leg easily over his other knee. There was no tension in his body although he held a half-finished glass of brandy in a crystal tumbler. The flames that danced around his body made his handsome features shadowed in a way that obscured his face from full view, but Beth could tell the happy congeniality from the party was replaced with a more neutral look that showed no emotion at all.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked sipping from the glass of brandy in his hand. Beth wondered how much he had had already, and one look at the half-full bottle of liquor gave her an idea. Plus whatever he had consumed at the party.

"I am Malcolm. I was feeling dizzy I just needed to lie down for a while, but then I fell asleep." she answered and watched him take a sip of the brandy again as he answered.

"Good, good I'm glad you are not unwell. The Murphey's were joking that perhaps you were pregnant." he stared into the flames and Elizabeth looked him over. She folded her hands in front of her. "But we both know that is not the case." finally he turned to face her and she saw the cold gray of his eyes clearly in the firelight. There was no warmth left in them. "Don't we Elizabeth."

Beth held her tongue, unsure what to say to that her back straightening even more and she just watched the fire play across his features. He simply nodded his head.

"Nothing to say to that, huh?" he continued. "Let's try this one then." he leaned forward in the chair shifting so that his elbows were on his knees and he was staring her down. "Why, THE FUCK, did you put up wards on your room?"

The exploitive made her take a step back as the brandy glass came to shatter against the fireplace just left of where her head had been, spraying her clothing with the leftover alcohol that didn't land in the fire and cause the flames to flare in a way that illuminated the cold anger on his face but it didn't stop him from standing to follow it even as she said,

"I didn't want to be disturbed by our guests and the noise." She knew it was coming and she had steeled herself for it. The backhand of her husband that left her head snapping to the side and stinging from the sudden rush of pain but she didn't move to indicate that it hurt only tightening her hands in front of her body until her fingers turned white with the lack of blood flow. That only seemed to piss him off more.

"Ice queen bitch," he spat the insult at her as she straightened her shoulders again and turned to look back at him in challenge. He was not at the point where he was swaying from liquor but she could smell it on his breath, and it made her shudder in disgust. "Are you stupid intentionally or is it an accident? How many times have I told you NEVER to ward a room in this house from me!" He couldn't have gotten in and she knew it. Her magic far exceeded his own.

"This is not your house it is mine. Everything in it is mine. YOU - Are - Mine!" he continued as leaned into her face making her turn her gaze away from him so she didn't have to feel his liquored breath on her nose. That small action had him reaching out and grabbing her by her hair and she felt it when she lost her balance falling to the floor at his feet on her hands and knees.

She didn't want to be afraid of him, but she was. Still she managed to look up at him her green eyes cold with anger. "I do not and will never belong to you Malcolm. You want to know why I refuse to give you a child? It's because I do not want to be responsible for bringing your demon spawn into this world!" His face didn't even change. No anger, no hatred, no shock. It just stayed that cold sadistic neutral.

"I see we need another lesson, Elizabeth." he reached for his belt pulling it from his pants and folding it in half in a way that was deceptively casual for the words that came from his lips. "I don't like doing this, you know." he knelt down over her reaching out to move her hair back from her face. "I wouldn't have to if you could just follow some basic rules." It was almost gentle until he used his hand to push her flat on the floor at his feet, sending the edges of the glass he had broken earlier into her palms and knees. Then the first sting of the belt hit her back, making her clamp down on her jaw in pain. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of crying out, at least that she could keep from him. It was ten strokes of the belt stinging into her skin before he decided it wasn't enough to vent his fury tonight and he switched to his hands and feet, kicking her stomach over and over again while he held her hair until she was sure she would never draw breath again. When he was panting heavily from the exertion he stood, to pull her with him never letting go of her hair when he left the office. He dragged her up the main staircase of their house. She thought for a minute he would drag her into his rooms, and her whole body trembled with that. Dear Merlin, no anything but that tonight. He didn't however, instead tossing her unceremoniously on the floor of her bedroom, coughing from the pain that wracked her body.

"I will come see you soon Elizabeth, and we will see if you are in a more agreeable temperament, in the meantime." he reached for her wand on the nightstand taking it from her and the box of floo powder over her fireplace. "Since you like silence so much, I will give you plenty." she was dimly aware when he cast the wards around her room, locking her in, her body feeling like it was on fire when she turned over.

She was a healer, but he had taken her wand, and she laughed darkly at the irony that someone who had once been called the greatest healer of her time was lying bruised and broken on her own bedroom floor unable to heal. Taking shallow breaths she dragged herself to the bed one hand over her stomach and just before she passed out she had a single thought. At least now she wasn't going to have to worry about him noticing the mark Minerva had left on her skin.

*****  
A week passed in the castle and Severus was sure that he was going to have to murder someone. Minerva was acting like the bluebird of fucking happiness had flown up her ass and permanently lodged itself in her brain so when the little twerps had asked for a September dance at the end of the month she had given in and agreed to it. That made him groan, now he was going to have to Chaperone. He didn't even like dances that didn't have teenagers at them!

Flitwick and professor Sproat, of course, seemed to think the dance was a great idea and fell into happy dance planning mode that made him want to gag. When they attempted to recruit him into the party planning committee under the guise of "staff participation" he gave them a glare that could have frozen hell itself and retreated permanently to his dungeons.

The only one who didn't seem to be affected by Minerva's general gaiety was Hermione. She seemed to have taken to walking silently around the castle as much as possible and only interacting with students and staff when absolutely necessary. It likely should have worried him, as much as it seemed to worry Minerva, but he figured she just needed to sort things out in her head and when she was ready she would start talking to people again. Perhaps it was because of this silence that when she slipped into his potions lab and asked him if she could brew a potion using them he nodded his head to her without even his trademark sneer and went back to grading papers.

It was part way through the week when he noticed the colour what she was brewing and tilted his head over the cauldron inhaling the scent carefully. Hermione was lost in thought as she stirred it reading from an advanced potions book and Severus leaned over her her shoulder as he seemed to consider the lines of the next. Finally, he spoke, "Anti-anxiety?" he inquired and when he received a nod in response he grunted and returned to his desk.

The next day when Hermione came in it was to find a different text opened to a page with numerous annotations on it. Same potion, but everything that she had been having trouble with was spelled out, plus a few changes that when she reviewed them made perfect sense. She recognized the looping handwriting and looked up to find Severus with his head buried in his own work. She didn't say anything about it just set to work making the necessary changes to her own potion and was pleased when it adjusted colour easily with the next addition of ingredients.  
Two days later her potion was finished with enough for a few months supply and when it was bottled and her work cleaned up she walked to the front slipping the textbook back onto Severus's desk. "Thank you." She offered and got a nod in response.

"Let me know how it works." came the neutral replay as Hermione left the dungeons.

She surprised herself by answering honestly. "I will."


	13. Chapter 13

Harry blew out a breath as he leaned over his desk in the Ministry of Magic. He had filled out from the scrawny teenager he had been and now his well defined figure stretched out the button up dress shirt across his back.

Eventually, he sat up with a huff. Had he known that becoming an Auror would involve so much paperwork might have become Quidditch player. He already felt like one the way the damned reporters kept sticking cameras in his face in the middle of his cases. Reaching for a stress ball he tossed it in the air and caught it easily then did it over and over again, a habit he had developed when he was thinking about something.

Alan had corned him at the Chambers party to tell him about the letters Hermione was receiving. Of course, Weasley wouldn't authorize anyone experienced to actually look into the case. That made sense, when it came to Hermione he had a stick up his ass but Harry wasn't sure what he could do to help either.

Now he had the files sitting on his desk and looking between the two letters, one the howler and the second that Hermione had received. They hit a new level of creepy, Harry would willingly admit to that. While both letters appeared to be from witches, when they were traced back to their addresses and names both witches were dead. Recently enough, both within the last 6 months but other than that they seemed to have no real connection. They were in different jobs, from different wizarding cities, they didn't even have the same race. The only clear thing was that they didn't send the letters from the grave. Harry spun around in his chair. He hated sitting still, always had, he wanted to be moving so he decided that sitting at his desk was just wasting time.

"Hey Alan, i'm heading out for coffee you want some?" he called over the edge of his industrial cubicle. It was really amazing that even the wizarding world had them.

"Coffee? Sweet Merlin yes, just don't tell my wife." came the responding answer. "Hey, you figure out anything more about those letters?"

"Not yet, but I will." then he paused "You think Hermione would actually answer me if I sent her a letter?" Harry looked at Alan. It was one of the few things he was actually insecure about. All the times he had considered sending her a letter he had pulled back afraid of the reception he would get. Now, though he was really worried. The older man looked up from his desk pulling off his reading glasses.

"You think she wouldn't?" he asked only to receive a shrug in response. "Well, I suppose there is only one sure way to answer that question." he looked back at his desk putting his glasses back on "Answer it after coffee." he instructed waving a hand to the antsy younger Auror and that made Harry chuckle as he grabbed his Jacket from the back of the chair.

When Hermione woke up the next morning the first thing she noticed was that the anti-anxiety combined with the dreamless sleep had actually given her a decent night's sleep. The second thing that she noticed was that it didn't feel as if there were ants crawling under her skin and down into her stomach from the levels of anxiety she had and she let out a deep breath she didn't know she had been holding. Part of her had been afraid that it wouldn't work and she would just be stuck with the feeling forever.

Crookshanks purred as he crawled onto the bed beside her nuzzling his mashed little face into her arms and she pet him gently in no hurry to get out of bed on a Saturday morning. She scratched his head and he gave her a kitty massage in return the din of the purr only increasing and for the first time in over a week Hermione felt like she was ready to face the world.

It was almost 9 before she came down to the great hall, but since breakfast wasn't served until 9 on the weekends in order to accommodate for the teenagers desire to spend hours in their beds that meant she was actually a little bit early. The only other person at the head table was none other than the other early riser on staff, Severus Snape. Stepping up to the table she took her head beside him and he folded the Daily Prophet to look at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, much, thank you." she answered actually starting to feel somewhat like her old self.

"Good," came the answer, "Because we have a little field trip today." Hermione blinked

"We have a what?" she wrinkled her brow in concentration her spoon halfway to her mouth. "I didn't read a memo about that from Minerva."

"No, just you and me." Severus answered. "Assuming you are willing to trust me." That question had Hermione pausing for a moment. What exactly was he planning, but she was surprised to find that she did trust him so she nodded her head.

"Good." answered the man before returning back to the Daily Prophet just as an Owl swooped into the Great Hall and came to land on the table beside Hermione. This one, unlike the last one she did recognize. It was Hedwig, Harry's owl.

"Hedwig?" she blinked and the snowy owl hooted in answer hopping forward to get a scratch from the girl she still remembered and clearly searching for her treats. "What are you doing here?" of course there could only be one reason, which was that she had a letter for Hermione and the scroll on her leg indicated it was true. When Hermione wasn't fast enough to remove it Hedwig hooted and hopped forward, she wanted her treat!

"I think the Owl wishes your attention Hermione." Severus drawled when his paper reading was interrupted for the second time by the bird. So Hermione reached for the letter on the birds leg.

At first she was afraid, perhaps something was desperately wrong with Harry or Ginny or the new baby. Then it occurred to her that she hadn't seen them in 3 years. It was unlikely at this point they would even write to her if something was wrong. She unrolled the note anyway just in case and furrowed her brow when it read.

_Hermione, _

_Hey, it's Harry. I really miss you 'Moine. Can you write me back? I really want to talk to you. _

Immediately she crumpled the note and tossed it into the nearest rubbish bin. Hedwig hooted for her treat again and Hermione handed her one. She extended her leg like a good bird for a return message but Hermione shook her head. "Not this time girl." and she gave her a wide eyed look that Hermione seemed to think asked "why?" before she took to the sky and flew away.

"Not going to send Mr. Potter a note back?" the smooth silky voice spoke beside her.

"How did you know that was from Harry?" she exclaimed turning to face him in exasperation.

"It was his owl was it not?" came the impatient response.

"Well, yes, but how did you….oh nevermind, No I'm not going to send him back a letter." that earned her only a hmm in response that she couldn't quiet sort out the meaning of before Seveurs stood from the table.

"Ah, well, it is certainly time for our outing then." and he waited for her to get up from the table. Checking his pocket watch. "Are you dressed to leave the castle grounds?" and when she nodded that she would be find in her jeans and jumper he stalked towards the door. "Exelcent, come along then Hermione. We do not wish to be late."


	14. Chapter 14

Hermione took his hand when it was offered silently outside the Hogwarts grounds so that he could take her where he was that they were headed and was surprised when he pulled her closer to his side before apperating. She knew it was to avoid the possibility of splinching, but for the first time in a very long time, the feeling of being this close to someone didn't make her back stiffen and give her the intense need to get away.

When the spinning stopped she looked up to see the front of Saint Mungo's and she looked wide-eyed at Severus and offered a soft "No." turning to walk away from the building before he reached out and took her hand again looking at her very intently.

"Do you trust me Hermione?" she looked at building in front of her and then back at his earnest Obsidian eyes. He wasn't pushing her, he was letting her make the decision for herself and she was aware that for the entire time she had been making it he had never let go of her hand. It was strange that she didn't want to pull away from him, but his hand in hers was the lifeline that she needed right now.

"Yes." she finally answered her eyes flicking behind him to the hospital with clear fear in them. She had promised herself when she had left Saint Mungo's she would never need to set foot in the doors of it again. It wasn't that the doctors weren't nice, it was that everyone had seen her as crazy after she left. She couldn't go through that again.

"Then there is nothing to fear," he answered her his voice smooth and she was aware that although she swallowed hard she was still clinging to his hand and he hadn't tried to pull away from her. "Come, this way." he offered and she wondered if it was her imagination that his voice was just a little bit softer.

When he stepped into the building he seemed to know exactly where they were going and he led her through a maze of hallways stopping at a desk in a wing that read multi-purpose rooms. Hermione wasn't sure where they were or why, she had never been in this part of the hospital. "Is Healer Chambers in today?" she heard Severus asking of a pretty nurse that Hermione seemed to remember being at Hogwarts when she was, just a few years younger.

"No." Came the immediate answer "Her husband called, she is ill." this had Severus arching a brow to answer.

"Again? What is that the fourth time since the summer." and the nurse nodded her head before she answered

"Group is still taking place though, one of the interns is going to host it." she turned and looked to Hermione giving her a shy little smile. "If you both want to take a seat in room one." Hermione wasn't sure she wanted to take a seat in room one at all but Severus reached for her hand again and all but dragged her into the back room. It was set up in a circle of actually rather comfortable looking chairs and Severus sat Hermione down in one before taking a seat in one himself stretching his legs out in a way that actually looked comfortable. It was two minutes before Hermione finally asked.

"Umm, Professor Snape, what are we doing here?" and he answered

"Severus. You are a Professor Hermione not my student, you might as well get used to calling me by my first name, and group therapy obviously." She almost bolted out of the chair and back into the hallway but he had been prepared and reached for her hand pulling her back into the chair she had been occupying.

"You don't have to say a word." he stated, "Just listen, but give it three weekends before you decide that you are not coming back." He paused and looked her up and down from head to toe. "Unless of course I am mistaken and you are a coward." he watched as she frowned deeply, and settled back in the chair with a bratty tilt of her head. He almost grinned to himself, you could always get a Gryffindor if you played on that damned sense of bravery.

Hermione crossed her arms and waiting, watching as more people trickled into the room. Grumbling to herself she sighed as she leaned back in the chair and was prepared not to say a single word. She would sit here just to prove she could but he couldn't make her speak! Some of the people she knew from her years at Hogwarts, others were new faces, and when the medical intern looked like she was just about ready to get the session underway a young man came stumbling into the room dropping papers behind him.

"Oh, oh sorry I'm late!" exclaimed Neville Longbottom. His rumpled robes covered in soil already. "I was just tending to my newest batch of Mandrakes and of course had the headphones on and I didn't see the time…" he paused and looked about "Oh did I interrupt?" but the young healer smiled and shook her head to him.

"No we haven't started yet come in." and when Neville sat she began. "You will see we have a new member today. I think she is feeling a bit shy so you don't have to introduce yourself today my dear but would you like to tell us your name?"

Hermione looked up surprise written on her face and she turned to Severus who only gave her a slight nod of his head. She looked back wide-eyed at the healing woman before she finally said "I umm...I'm Hermione." with a slight wave, and when she received several waves and smiles in return but no comments she relaxed slightly sitting back in the chair and listing.

"Alright, well thanks for saying hello Hermione, it can be hard your first time we have all been through that, but if you want to talk you are welcome to." she turned to the rest of the group. "Alright so, who wants to start us off, how was your week?"

There was silence for a few minutes then a girl with chocolate brown hair raised her hand. "I will." she said tentatively. "I umm, I kind of had a rough week." She said softly "My boyfriend and I were arguing and then next thing I knew my wand was in my hand pointing at him." Hermione blinked sitting up straight as she listened to the girl speak. Someone she vaguely remembered from Hogwarts. She remembered she was in Dumbledore's Army.

"Did you hurt him?" the intern asked although there was no judgement in her voice and the others in the circle just looked on.

"No," the girl answered "but I was afraid I would." That had Hermione listening with rapt attention. She was afraid of that everytime she had a panic attack. Afraid she would lose control of herself and hurt someone else. When she turned around the room she saw almost everyone was nodding their heads to her story.

"That is a very scary feeling." the intern said and the girl nodded her head sighing.

"I think the worst part is that it happens randomly. I mean, what if I really hurt him one day. I love him but I totally lose control of myself."

"Have you been doing the mindfulness exercises?" asked the intern and the woman nodded,

"Ya, they help a bit, just not in the moment." the woman sighed again "I just, you know want this to end." The intern nodded in understanding and turned to look around at the group.

"Does anyone have any suggestions of things they try when they get to that point?" she asked and one man said.

"Honestly, when i'm that far gone I just have to take a rescue potion and sleep." the rest nodded their head and Hermione looked around the room even as the girl nodded too. Wasn't that exactly what had happened to Hermione a week ago? She was surprised that everyone was agreeing with this. Was it possible that all of these people were experience similar things to her? Settling back she listened to the rest of the conversation.

****

Two hours later Hermione was standing up to leave the group. She hadn't worked up the nerve to talk for herself but she had listened to what everyone had said and the suggestions they had given each other. She was surprised to find that many people in the group were having the same problems she was, like not being able to sleep, and the suggestions they gave each other were helpful. Perhaps what she noticed most, was the care they had for each other. When one person commented that her familiar had passed away this week and she was having a very rough time the rest of the circle was quick to ask her what she needed to help her get through.

Just as she was about to head through the door, Neville came over to her and grinned "Hermione, hey I'm so glad to see you." he spoke to her and it seemed genuine. "It's been a few years." he commented and Hermione noticed that unlike in his youth when he had always seemed lost dazed and confused and never met her eyes when he spoke now he looked right at and her and she could see the earnestness there.

"Oh, ya, hey I guess it has been a while. Sorry about that," she answered unsure what to say really.

"No need to apologize, it's partly my fault, after the war, I was a bit of a mess you know?" he chuckled. "Healer Chambers really helped me out. Likely the best healer I have ever met. She started this group when she stopped doing emergency and dropped down to part-time. You will absolutely love her when you meet her." he nodded "too bad she is sick today." He seemed to be searching around in his robes for something and Hermione glanced around the room noting Severus had slipped out.

"Oh well, I don't know if I'll be back…" she trailed off the end of the sentence and Neville shook his head.

"Don't quit before you meet her, just trust me ok?" he looked to her again with that earnestness in his eyes that she couldn't refuse. He really was and always had been a sweetheart. Finally, he seemed to find what he was digging around for in his robes and handed her a rather battered and dirty business card. "Here, that's my floo connection. You call me if you need anything and I mean that Hermione, even if you're just having a bad day and need to get out for a bit."

Hermione blinked that he would offer that so easily. Didn't he remember what she had done? He had been there but she didn't want to rehash that right at this moment with him so she stumbled on "Ah, ya ok, sure." she looked down at the business card, it read his name then said Horticulture Head, with the Saint Mungo's logo and she exclaimed "Oh, wow! You run the greenhouses here?!" that was a super important job!

Neville blinked and then chuckled rubbing the back of his head "Ah, ya. Herbology always was the only subject I was good at." he chuckled "I think Professor Snape is just glad they don't let me near cauldrons anymore." That still didn't stop Hermione from being impressed.

"But these are like, THE greenhouses Neville!" and he blushed before he laughed.

"I just like it 'moine. It's not so big a deal. Look at you, don't you teach at Hogwarts now?" he shuffled in his robes again trying to straighten them.

"Well ya, but the kids are little monsters. Always getting into crap that makes me give them detention. It's honestly super hard Neville, I have no idea how I'm going to make it through the year without turning one of them into a toad. " she looked back and forth to see if anyone was listening before she leaned in and whispered conspiratorily "And they totally tricked us all about the forbidden forest, it isn't dangerous at all!" that had Neville burst out laughing and he grinned.

"Well, i'm sure you will figure it out Hermione you always figure everything out. Just think of teaching as one of your puzzles." he shifted for a moment uncomfortably. "Hey, I have to get back to my greenhouses, the potions labs put in an order for Nightshade this morning but.." he paused again "Could I give you a hug? You can say no if your uncomfortable and I won't be upset, or tell me what you would like. A high five maybe."

Hermione thought about it for a moment. It had been a long time since people had given her the choice of what touch she received and if she actually wanted it in that moment. She was suddenly so grateful to Neville just for that small thoughtful question that she surprised herself by saying. "Actually, I would love a hug right now." and Neville beamed giving her a big bear hug.

"You take care of yourself ok?" he spoke gently "And I'll see you next week. Use my card if you need it." he took her hands for a second giving them a little squeeze "You know I've really missed you, my friend. I'm really glad I got to see you today." then letting go he turned running back to his potions labs.

Hermione walked from the room clutching the card in her hand. Leaning against the desk hands in his pockets was Severus just patiently waiting for her. "Ready?" he asked her when she nodded her head and slipped the card into her pocket she turned back to him as they made their way out of the hospital.

"Hey, Severus?" she asked to be met with a grunt in response as she walked beside him.

"Can you tell me about Healer Chambers?" she asked softly earning her a look from her walking partner and a thoughtful silence before he answered again.

"She is a good woman." He finally stated his long strides never slowing towards the apparition point. "She never held it against me when I tried to kill her after I woke up to find myself alive." he chuckled darkly but then his eyes went a little bit distant and thoughtful "Although she used it against me when she made this little group a year ago to get me to come. That said, If anyone understands PTSD, it's her." Hermione sped up trying to keep up with his long strides,

"Oh did she fight in the war too?" she asked him suddenly curious about this new Healer who everyone spoke so highly of.

"No," came the instant answer but he left it at that, "Should I assume since you are asking about her you will come next week?"

Hermione fingered the card in her pocket and then shrugged "Ya sure, I guess it couldn't hurt. I mean I have nothing else happening." Severus restrained his smirk until he had taken her hand and turned away to apparate.

***

Beth opened her eyes slowly to find Calista curled up against her, how long had she been here? Three days, four? She didn't know time was beginning to blend together and without painkillers, she was mostly sleeping or in a haze of pain. She knew he had broken her ribs at the very least, her difficulty breathing indicated that, but it was hard to catalog her own injuries when the pain from her ribs overtook everything.

When she could no longer stand the feeling of thirst she dragged herself to the sink and filled a glass with water, downing it before getting another one. She could walk at least that was a good sign, but one look at her face and she hated it. The red mark of his hand imprinted now in an ugly bruise, her hair tangled, greasy and unkempt from several days in the bed in pain and her face pale and sweating. She tried to pull herself up straight but she couldn't. She just needed her wand.

Her hands tightened on the counter. Yes, she just needed her wand and then she could be out of this situation forever. Anger washed through her white-hot until it made her green eyes and cold. She was a healer, she knew the anatomy of the body inside and out, better than that she was a good healer. She knew what venoms were detectable and what wasn't. She knew how to give him a heart attack with a spell that would never be traceable with the Aurors. Yes, if she got her wand back she could end this. Tonight.

Then she looked at herself, really looked and she was shocked at what she saw. The burning hatred that glazed over her eyes. The way her hands tightened to violence around the edge of the counter and the look of indifference in her features as she considered the cleanest way to murder someone, and not get caught. That was the key part, she had no desire to spend the rest of her life in Azkaban. What would that make her though? A murderer? She was a Healer, she had taken an oath to never harm someone with that knowledge and here she was actually contemplating Malcolm's slow and extremely painful death. It would make her life easier that little part of her that whispered bad things in the night told her. She wouldn't miss him.

Making her way back to the bed she laid down again only to hear the pop as the wards around her room disappeared. He was back, and he came in carrying a tray with soup, biscuits, and crackers. "Elizabeth," he called out into the dark turning to flick on a light as he did. "I brought you something to eat." he came over to the side of the bed setting down the tray and easing himself to sit down beside her. Reaching out to gently stroke back her hair from her face. "You look terrible, Sweetheart." his false gentleness made her want to gag every time. This was his game, beat her and then come in trying to pretend he cared about her at all. Perhaps it would have worked if she had actual feelings for him if she loved him or ever did, but she had never once professed to love the man that sat beside her now.

Then she saw it, her wand was on the tray. She didn't think when she moved, despite the terrible pain she was in and cast quickly. "Flipendo!" it knocked him back into the wall across the room, making him hit his head on the exposed dresser on the way, cutting his forehead and before he had a chance to move she followed him across the room extending her wand with a shaky hand, her eyes blazed with the anger she felt in every core part of her body. She was about to cast, about to say it when she stopped, the curse dead on her lips. She knew so, so many curses. A little bit of blood ran down his forehead over the edge of his nose and down his cheek in the silence and she came back into herself, fighting for the control to stop her own body from doing what she had wanted to do for so long. "Get. Out." was what came out instead. "Now."

He gasped eyes wide with fear. He actually believed the wild-haired woman might kill him and he raised his hands over his head to show that he didn't even have his wand on him. In a duel, Elizabeth never would have won against him, but here and now she had the advantage and he knew it. "Hey now, Elizabeth let's put that wand away and…"

"OUT!" she screamed it and this time couldn't control the spell that flew from her lips sending him tumbling out her bedroom door. She warded every inch of the room, just to ensure that he couldn't get back in. Locking him from her space in the house with a secure POP.

Then she collapsed struggling to draw breath, blinking back tears at what she had just done, how very very close she had been. Two years. It would be two years in October since she had signed herself over to this life. Two years since she had come in knowingly. She had no one to blame but herself. "Ila." she whispered into the darkness of the room "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I thought I could do it.." she felt it when the tears started to pool hot down her cheeks releasing the anger that she felt to emptiness "I thought I could, but I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Outside in the hallway, Malcolm stood up to adjust his button-down shirt. Pulling it down until it was just perfect around his shoulders. He tried his wife's door but she had warded it again. "She never learns," he muttered to himself. Then he reached up a hand feeling it come away sticky with a substance. It took him a minute to realize it was blood and he frowned turning to the side to look at his reflection in the mirror. It was a minor thing, he could heal it, but just the fact she had drawn blood. She was going to pay for that. With a pop, Minny appeared in the hallway looking worried and wringing her hands.

"Mistress, is she feeling…" but Malcolm cut her off.

"Don't give her anything to eat until she comes downstairs." he snapped. She wanted to play games with him, fine, but she would learn who it was that ran this house. He would be damned if his own wife was going to raise a hand to him. Eventually, all women learned. They just had to be shown.


	15. Chapter 15

Hermione thought about therapy intensely for the next few days, or perhaps not so much the therapy but the things they had explored inside it. Perhaps most vividly she remembered that woman who had spoken about feeling dangerous to her boyfriend. Especially when she was anxious. Hermione could relate. She felt like she was dangerous to people often like she was just one snap away from raising her wand to someone again and really hurting them.

By Wednesday the need to talk to someone was so overwhelming again that she made her way down to the potions labs once more. Although she had thought about contacting Neville, she couldn't quite make herself just yet. What was she afraid of? Even she didn't know but she knew that each and every time she reached for his floo contact she found herself hesitating.

She had enough anti-anxiety to last a month but somewhere between her classroom and the potions lab she came up with an excuse of things she needed to brew. As it turned out she didn't need any of them, because when she came in Severus was standing over the cauldron and it looked like he was concentrating on something in the pot.

The small potions lab was his own private one, offset from the main dungeons and although ti was still cold and dark in the space, having no windows that looked to the outside, this area was meticulously organized around a central worktable in a way that gave it a more professional feeling. Currently it smelled of Hazel and foxglove and it made Hermione curious as to what he could be brewing.

"Hello Hermione." He spoke smoothly as she entered the room making her pause "Could I assist you with something?"

"I ummm…" she trailed off and then stumbled over the rest of her words. "I was well going to ask." that had Severus looking up from his potion.

"If you are here to ask me to assist with the school dance I would rather be bitten by Nagini again." his answer was sharp but his lips pulled down into a frown when Hermione burst out laughing.

"Sorry.." she managed after a moment "It's ju...just the idea of you actually planning a party." she stopped to bend over laughing again. "What would it's theme be? Detention?"

"If I planned a party with a detention theme Hermione you might find that you liked it quite a bit. It would just not be for the students." he paused to let his lips turn into a small smirk at her laughing "Don't tempt me."

She paused in her laughing and tilted her head to him innocently enough to show that she didn't understand what he was saying but he didn't bother to explain only asked.

"Was there something you needed?" Hermione suddenly remembered why she was there to begin with and managed "Oh well I was going to ask if I could brew a potion but you are busy so.." she trailed off again, she was good at doing that in his presence.

"Yes, I am." he answered and she turned to leave when he said to her back. "You could help me with this one however." when she gave him a curious look at the offer he shrugged. "I am attempting to create a sedative that will not have so prolonged an effect on the user. Seems many of the people at our group feel terrible after taking their rescue potions."

Hermione backed up and over to the cauldron looking at the colour and contents "I'm sorry, did you just say you were doing something nice?" she inquired playfully although she wasn't sure why she wanted to tease him today. She was rewarded for her teasing with a stern look from the man who rarely smiled.

"Absolutely not," he countered instantly "I'm trying to make a fortune. Do you know how much Saint Mungo's would pay for an alternative?" he frowned again when once more Hermione burst out laughing making him counter "What! Half the wizarding world is on this stuff after the war." but she just grinned at him again.

"Good, I thought perhaps you might be ill." and he humphed at her handing her the spoon

"Here stir this." he instructed before turning to the shelves and looking through them until he found the next ingredient pulling it down and bringing it back to the scale at his worktable.

"How are your classes going?" Hermione asked after he had measured the amount he wanted into the cauldron.

"Terrible." he answered immediately "They are all dunderheads bent on the destruction of the planet through potions. Honestly, who would combine wormwood and thistledown. They should know by second year that will cause a melting point reaction." he sighed and shook his head. "They try my patience Hermione." Hermione considered that before she spoke.

"It doesn't sound like you actually like teaching much." she didn't stop stirring the cauldron as he pulled down another ingredient from the shelves. "Why do you keep doing it?" Severus looked at the woman in his lab for a long moment before he answered.

"Why do we keep doing most things? It is familiar." but then he shrugged his shoulders. "Hogwarts gives me everything I could ask for Hermione. I have my own potions lab with all the ingredients I could ask for. I have access to all the best research. I am respected in my field and occasionally I get a student that is actually worth teaching." He moved to scoop the Moly into the potion but Hermione reached out to stop him.

"Wait." she spoke and looked to his recipe. "You need half that much. It will interact with the foxglove you put in earlier. You want something that is not going to make someone sleep right?"she asked, "You need the Moly and the Foxglove to bind to each other so they will counteract the sleeping they both give." Servus raised and eyebrow at that and then drawled.

"Yes, but foxglove is poisonous, if there isn't enough Moly the effect will be deadly." Hermione nodded her head to him "Yes but Moly isn't what you want. You want crushed Bezore. That will leave the sedative effects of both the Moly and the Foxglove but leave no risk of poisoning." Severus looked over the potion and then back to his recepie.

"Bezore is hard to crush, could they handle it in massive amounts?" Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"If you could make us grind it in 7th year I don't see why the potions Masters at Saint Mungo's wouldn't be able to. Especially if the potion was more effective. Besides, you might have made us do all the work by hand, but you do know that Saint Mungo's uses magical prep spells for it's ingredients." that made Severus chuckle.

"Less chance of cross contamination by sloppy wandwork. If I can't trust the bunches of dunderheads with potions why would I trust them with charms?" but he looked Hermione over with assessment. "As I was saying, some students were worth teaching. Especially when they eventually shut-up and listened."

Hermione felt the blush that spread across her cheeks and settled in her toes at his praise making her fall silent again. Severus didn't break the silence and the two of them worked companionably until finally he stated.

"This will have to brew overnight. If you come back tomorrow we can add the Bezore and see if your theory is correct." Hermione nodded her head. She would eagerly come back tomorrow. Then she paused.

"We will need to supervise the dance on Friday." she tilted her head to him "This should be finished by then right?" she was counting the time on her fingers even as she head the sigh from the man.

"That infernal dance. Yes, yes it will be finished before that starts." he sighed wiping his hands on a towel that was near the workstation and passing it to her. "Come let's go and get something to eat."

"Hey Harry." Harry heard Malcolm call as he finished off the taco they had grabbed mid way through their evening shift. It was getting late and Harry was beat. This being a new dad thing was hard, harder than anyone ever bothered to tell you. James refused to sleep more than three hours a night, which Ginny said was normal. How anyone decided to have more of them Harry was unsure. Right now all he knew was that lack of sleep was making him eat his fourth taco and contemplate his fifth.

"You mind if we swing by the hospital on the way back from our shift?" Malcolm asked dusting off his shirt as he spoke to the other Auror. "Beth has been unwell and couldn't stop in to see my Mum, I want to make sure she has everything." Harry nodded his head ordering that fifth taco and biting into it.

"Beth's sick?" he asked mouth half full of food. "She's been sick a lot Mate. Everything ok?" he swallowed and whipped his mouth with a napkin as he looked with concern at Malcolm who shrugged.

"Ya, I guess. She is stressed about the hospital and always getting the worst bugs from there. I keep telling her, we have the money she doesn't have to work." and Harry chuckled,

"I can't imagine you getting her out of that hospital Malcolm. I remember before you were married she basically lived there." He chewed his taco again even as Malcolm answered.

"I'm just worried. I hate seeing her get sick. Doesn't it drive you nuts when Ginny does stuff you know is bad for her but she does it anyway?" Harry chuckled.

"Ya of course." he shook his head "but we both suffer from the curse of being married to strong willed red heads." He grinned showing it was clear that Harry loved Ginny's strong will.

Malcolm shrugged and sighed running a hand through his hair "She is strong willed all right." he shook his head again before adding "Speaking of strong willed. Hard night tonight. Seeing those kids." he frowned stretching out his legs again. Harry nodded.

"Glad you were there to step in, I don't think I have ever seen you look so angry." Malcolm frowned.

"Worst sort of scum that would leave kids in that situation." he answered and Harry looked at his watch. Having James made him not really want to think about those kids, he was glad his baby was home safe and now those kids would be safe too thanks to Malcolm.

"We have time now if you want to stop over to Saint Mungo's" he added "about 45 minutes long enough?" and Malcolm nodded his head

"Should be good. You never really know what your going to get with Mum anyway." he stood stretching out back and picking up his jacket. "You don't have to come." but Harry shook his head and slapped Malcolm on the shoulder

"No seems like you have had a rough week. I'll come." Harry nodded. "Besides if I sit down too long I'm going to pass out. Infants never sleep." which made a wistful look appear on Malcolm's face. Harry didn't miss it.

"It will happen for you and Beth." he chuckled "Then you'll wistfully remember sleep."

Malcolm just nodded his head as they aperated to Saint Mungo's.

Margie Chambers had the best rooms that Saint Mungo's care facilities had to offer. They amounted to a two room apartment with a small kitchenette and attached bathroom. The room was decorated as suited Margie in antiques and she sat in a wingback chair before the fire when the entered. Part of the reason she was so comfortable was because of Beth, she had ensured it when Margie came into Saint Mungo's care. The other part was because Malcolm paid the hospital an arm and a leg to ensure that his mother was well cared for. Still that didn't change her mental state. Margie Chambers had been diagnosed three years ago with irreversible dementia. Today however, seemed to be a good day because when Malcolm and Harry came in she greeted them both warmly.

"Malcolm! Oh, and you brought a friend home." she smiled before making a gasp "Oh Harry Potter, is that really you?" she exclaimed when confronted with the young Auror.

"Yes Ma'am." Harry replied chuckling "I work with your son over at the Ministry." They had been through this dance before, but Harry knew she was never going to remember that she had already met him.

"Oh Malcolm when did you get a job at the Ministry?" his mother furrowed her brow seeming confused. "Did you tell your father yet?" she frowned tapping her fingers on the chair "Oh dear he will be so very angry and." Malcolm reached out and put a hand over hers as he said gently.

"Mum, Father already knows. It's ok." there was no point explaining to Margie that her husband had been dead for three years. "In fact he is happy. Loves that I'm an Auror." and that had Margie visibly relax.

"Oh, well, it's a good profession." she continued and then turned back to beam at Harry. "And if Harry potter is working with you it can't be a bad thing." she smiled again settling into the chair. "I haven't seen Ila today. Is she out?" even Harry noticed the pained look that appeared on Malcolm's face and he took over for him.

"Ya Mrs. Chambers, Ila stepped out a little while ago." he rested a hand on her shoulders "But we wanted to make sure you have everything you need before we head back to work. Are you doing ok?" the older witch nodded her head and looked between the two of them.

"Oh, oh ok. Tell Ila I need to speak to her when she comes back. " Margie managed but smiled to them both. "Good boys, you are both such good boys." she patted their hands. "Visiting an old woman." she smiled and leaned back in the chair. "I'm good love." she patted Malcolm's hand again. "Just make sure you tell your sister I want to see her. Before your father gets home."

Malcolm nodded his head and continued "I will Mum." although Harry could see his jaw twitch as he said it. "And I will be sure to tell Ila." he looked up at Harry and Harry understood the need to save him.

"It was great seeing you again Mrs. Chambers, but we have to go." he smiled and asked "Can I come and see you again soon?"

"Oh! Oh yes of course Harry dear!" she exclaimed blushing "Just, not when my husband is here." she leaned in to whisper softly "He might get jealous." and Harry laughed.

"I'll keep that in mind." he chuckled and smiled again. "See you soon." he and Malcolm stood moving out of the small apartment with Malcolm.

"You ok?" Harry asked Malcolm a moment later.

"Ya." he answered "Sometimes I'm just not sure is worse you know? The days she doesn't know Father and Ila are gone, or the days she does." Harry only nodded and they both lapsed into silence.


	16. Chapter 16

When the bruises finally faded from Beth's skin about two days later, and she could no longer stand the persistent hunger that growled in her stomach she crept from the room at about mid morning. She was hoping that Malcolm would already be at work, but such was not the case. Instead, she found him sitting in the kitchen waiting for her to emerge. The kitchen had been remodeled recently to be a modern cooking space. With a big range stove and shelving that extended around the whole space. Beth was already emotionally exhausted and she didn't want to deal with him again and although there was a light airy feeling to the kitchen usually this morning his presence and the tension that was in the air left it feeling heavy. That didn't stop him from speaking, however. She didn't say anything at first, just gave him a tired look before turning to get a bowl from the kitchen cupboard.

"So you are just planning on ignoring me?" and she froze feeling the tension creep down her shoulders as she wondered if she had the energy to deal with him this morning.

"Of course not," she said softly breathing deeply to try and calm herself but she turned around to face him tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"We need to discuss your emotional outbursts Elizabeth." he frowned and looked at her folding his paper on the table before him. "Do you think what you did two days ago was really appropriate?" It was a trap and she knew it. If she said yes then it justified him. If she said no she risked sparking his anger. Worse yet, she knew that she had been emotional. She had lost control and almost killed him. She had no justification for that so she remained silent and she heard him sigh.

"Merlin, you are impossible to talk to," he growled. "Like a fucking child. You can't even admit what you did!" Malcolm spat his words, sudden venom in them. "I swear Elizabeth if we could just discuss this without your dramatics."

That got her, and although she knew that she was trapped in his web the moment she spoke she looked up to him before she managed "My Dramatics? Malcolm I am constantly waiting for you to lose your mind and just start yelling at me! That's on the good days. You need help, please, you need to see someone." She knew that wouldn't go over well.

"You call raising your wand to your husband and crying at a simple argument healthy?" he tossed back quickly enough. "Every time we go out I'm the one taking care of you. All you do is create drama and make me look after you."

"Then don't look after me, I'm an adult!" she countered back and moved to go and get fruit from the icebox. She was starving even arguing with him wasn't going to make her not eat.

"An adult who hasn't bothered to feed herself in what? Two days now?" he scoffed "Oh yes, sorry I see it, you need no help at all. If you hadn't warded your door to me I could have helped you but instead, you decided to be a little asshole and lock me out in one of your usual fits of dramatics."

Beth paused and just looked at him. Was that really what he thought that was? Dramatics? She had nothing to say in response to that, anything else would have only made him angry so instead, she looked at him just falling silent again.

"And then you do that, fucking go silent instead of admitting you are at fault." He fumed and slammed his bowl down on the counter. "Merlin arguing with you is like going in fucking circles Elizabeth. You are a Selfish Little Bitch you know that? Either you are refusing to acknowledge your part in what happened or you are going silent or crying like your some sort of victim."

Elizabeth paused and watched him again her head tilting to the side as his face turned angry. She felt hollow on the inside. There was no more room for tears she had already cried them out over the last two days and now she was just staring. "Malcolm, I really can't do this. I have no energy left. I'll say whatever it is you want me to say so I can just go to work."

"Oh of course." he mocked "Whatever it is I want you to say because you can never take any fucking responsibility for yourself. You ward your doors, act like an asshole when I come to bring you food and then come crying to me acting like you did nothing. You have no idea how to take responsibility for anything you do. Do you live in some sort of fantasy land where everything is sunshine and rainbows and you are never at fault?"

Beth rubbed her temples and took a breath massaging them to try and clear the headache that was forming. "I'm sorry I was angry. I didn't mean to hurt you," she said softly.

"Didn't mean to." he shook his head "So it was someone fucking else holding the wand?" he continued standing from his chair and coming close to her. "Should I believe that you are incapable of knowing your own actions and need to have your wand taken away?" he ranted "because we can arrange for that."

"No, no I know what I am doing Malcolm! For Merlin's sake I can handle myself!" she finally yelled back and pulled an orange from the fridge peeling it and taking a bite.

"Really?" he countered "So it's either you can handle yourself and you knew what you were doing, or you didn't know what you were doing and didn't -mean- to which is it Elizabeth." She took another deep breath, she never should have engaged him in this and she knew it.

"I'm sorry, I knew what I was doing," she answered him taking a bite of orange so she didn't have to say more.

"Oh good, you knew what you were doing when you decided to be an asshole." he spat back. Reaching out to take the orange from her "Fucking look at me when I'm talking to you. You always ignore everything I'm saying!" Elizabeth looked longingly at the orange all she wanted was to eat it in piece and then go to work where it was silent.

"I need to go to work Malcolm," she said softly. "Can I please have my breakfast back?" He scoffed but by some miracle gave her back the orange.

"We are not finished Elizabeth." he snapped making her just nod her head and turn to collect her wand. "We will finish this when you get home." she closed her eyes nodding her head again, at least he was letting her go this morning.

She moved as quickly as she could towards the fireplace, ensuring she had her purse with her. She was going to need to buy food she was still starving, but when she landed in her personal office in Saint Mungo's she had to breath three great deep breaths just to calm herself down. She could go months without this level of anger rising in Malcolm and then it seemed to come in waves. Walking behind the heavy old desk that lived in her office she rifled through her drawers looking for something and finally, she found it. A healing potion, the one she hadn't been able to brew at home. Swallowing it in one gulp she winced as it immediately started to work on healing her ribs, knitting the bones back together. It was going to be a long day at work too.

It took Minerva several hours to figure out where Hermione was hiding. In, the dungeons with the Potions Master of all places. She needed to speak to her about the letters she had received and she supposed that having Severus Snape around wasn't the worst thing. After all, she could always trust him to keep a secret.

"Ah Hermione, here you are I almost had to cast a locating charm." she smiled to the young woman working diligently behind a cauldron. "And you too Severus. I was just wondering if I could speak to you, Hermione?"  
Hermione finished cutting the ingredients she was adding to the batch and considered "Sure about what?" she hesitated with her knife over the Moly wanting to give it her full attention when cutting.

"Should I leave?" Severus inquired although it was clear from his long fingers tapping on the counter that he wasn't impressed about the idea of being kicked from his own potions lab. Hermione reached out touching his sleeve though in reassurance.

"No, it's fine I can't imagine it's anything you can't hear." Severus nodded once when Minerva didn't look too tempted to kick him out.

"It's about the letters you received Hermione, I just wanted to let you know they were both traced." Minerva hesitated to look back to Severus "I'm unsure if you told Severus about them yet." Hermione shook her head and Severus gave her a questioning look.

"They are nonsense." Hermione started "Just some letters from angry witches who don't like that I'm teaching at Hogwarts." but Minerva shook her head and turned to Severus.

"She is downplaying it, Severus. They are death threats, both of them, and rather nasty ones at that. They seem to be targeting her for events of her past." she left it at that "Either way. I thought you should know Hermione that the Auror's traced the letters and both witches who sent them are dead. One 10 months ago and one almost 2 years ago." she turned and looked to Severus as well. "I think in light of the obvious threats you should use even more caution when leaving Hogwarts grounds." If Severus was surprised he didn't show it. Instead just looking between the two witches as if some piece of things fell into place perfectly.

"Wait." Hermione paused "BOTH witches are dead?" she shivered, even she couldn't help but think how creepy it was to get letters from dead people. Minerva only nodded her head. "Ok, ya I'll be careful," Hermione added but Severus frowned deeply

"Excuse me." he nodded to both Ladies before turning and leaving the dungeons abruptly in a flurry of cloaks that spread like wings around him. Both women looked after him but Minerva only shrugged her shoulders.

"He isn't called the bat of the dungeons for nothing." she chuckled making Hermione dissolve into laughter. 


	17. Chapter 17

Hermione didn't see Severus again until the next day when she came down to finish bottling the potion they were making before the dance. When she came in it was to see him standing before his potions table and looking at the finished product. Hermione cleared her throat to announce her presence.

"Oh, good evening," he answered her casually still looking into the Calderon. "What do you make of the colour of this?" Hermione stepped forward looking into the potion. It wasn't the same colour as what they had been drinking before, but that was not necessarily a bad thing. While the old one had been a vague purple-gray colour this one was a light blue. An indication in her opinion that the Foxglove had been neutralized in the potion and now only the colour of the Moly was left. Still, she was a little surprised that he was actually asking her opinion.

"It looks like the foxglove is no longer active" she answered considering the brewing with a tilt of her head. "I'm not sure what it means for the effectiveness of the potion we would have to run some diagnostic charms on it." Severus nodded his head.

"My thoughts as well, I was hoping for a colour more between the purple and blue range." he continued "Perhaps we added too much Bezore?" he reached his wand flicking it to bottle the potion. Before picking up two vials and setting them both under diagnostic charms. "This will take a few hours to complete."

"Which is fine because we have a dance to supervise," Hermione stated looking perfectly amused at the look of complete exasperation that entered Severus's features. "And I still have to get ready." Severus didn't even speak just waved her away with a flick of his hand to go and do whatever it was women did to get ready for these things. He supposed he should likely shower as well.

****

Severus was showered in his dress robes and in the Great Hall just a few minutes before the students would start to arrive. He was always on time, but the idea of being any earlier than that was inconceivable, it would have just given those teachers who had planned this an excuse to make him work. Even then he somehow ended up setting up the tables that were full of food along the edge of the Great Hall and placing warming charms over the trays.

"You look good tonight Severus." came a voice from behind him. He didn't even need to turn around to know it was Minerva. "I like the new dress robes." he scowled.

"These are just basic dress robes Minerva. There is no need to make a fuss." and she gave him a smirk before innocently adding.

"I see." she smirked in a way that made Severus scowl even more. Sometimes that look of knowing amusement that entered her eyes made him want to strangle her. "Well, do have fun tonight." and she turned back to directing the staff that wasn't with their houses into set up. He would be damned if he told her that her own set of dress robes, a well-cut tuxedo jacket and pants that were just feminine enough to hug the curves of her figure looked quite dashing on her. Especially with her open cloak around them. She even had her hair down tonight. She usually wore it in a bun at school, which made her look much older than she actually was.

They had just finished setting up the tables and the charmed ceiling showed the sun had set to reveal the night stars when the students started to drift into the room all followed by their heads of house. Severus felt his gaze drawn as the Slytherins began to come in. All immaculately dressed, he was proud of them for making the effort for their house, although when the Gryffindors began to come in he had to admit they looked fairly dashing in their dress robes as well for the most part.

He slipped one hand into his pocket, his favored stance and turned his gaze away from the children coming into the hall when his eyes caught a figure in amongst the crowd. She was dressed in blue dress that had a high waist that fell down to the floor trailing on the ground but the effect when she moved was the most stunning. A thousand little shimmers seemed to catch the light and he was sure it had to be some sort of spell. The woman was stunning in the firelight her face flawless and blond curls framed her face to such perfection that Severus was caught just staring at the beautiful woman as she moved gracefully into the room. The sound of the Cello playing seemed to fade into the background as she moved. She was too old to be one of the students and yet he couldn't place a finger on who move like that in a dress among the staff so as to make his heart beat a thousand times a minute.

It was then she turned and he was transfixed with the realization that it was Hermione Granger. In the dress, she moved like a Lady straight out of a storybook and he didn't know how long he stood just watching her move across the Great Hall.

"She is lovely tonight isn't she?" Minerva seemed to appear over his shoulder. Severus couldn't even speak to her. He was too transfixed with the way Hermione Granger moved and when a waltz began to play his feet moved of their own accord.

"Excuse me," he said not even aware of how dumbfounded his voice was. As he approached Hermione turned and he found green eyes looking up at him that took his breath instantly from his lungs. "Will you dance?" he heard himself ask her and when she nodded her head he offered her his hand leading her onto the dance floor.

Hermione had been surprised by the approach of Severus Snape from the crowd and furthermore by the appearance of him at her side asking to dance. She wasn't sure he had ever danced, but when he led her onto the floor she was even more surprised at how well he knew the steps and she easily matched them.

"I didn't know you could dance," she whispered looking up into his obsidian eyes as she began the first steps of the waltz the feeling of his hand moving to her waist and pulling her close making a little rush of tingles run up her body.

"I wasn't sure I remembered how," he answered honestly spinning Hermione in effortless circles across the floor. There were other couples there but they had become background noise and taking her hand he spun her out from his body causing her dress to flare around her frame before he pulled her back against him even in that short period of time missing the contact of her body against his.

"I am glad you remembered," Hermione said softly before turning into the steps of the dance only to find the movements speeding up to match the pace of the waltz that slowly got faster. "It has been a long time since I danced too."

"Then men are fools," Severus answered spinning her out again to bring her back to his chest and move with the beat of the music perfectly.

"Do my eyes deceive me or is Severus Snape dancing?" Flitwick appeared beside Minerva to ask watching the couple floating around the ballroom.

"I think he might have even washed his hair." the woman in the tux answered in an amused way sipping from the cup of punch she held. Making Flitwick whistle lowly.

"Well Merlin praise." he chuckled with a shake of his head. Both of the other staff fell silent to watch the couple float around the ballroom until the final strains for the waltz finished.

Severus stepped back when the waltz ended to give Hermione a bow of thanks and Hermione felt something come over her that she had never managed to quite feel before. A tingle that started low in her stomach and spread outwards from her limbs. She found herself aching for the touch that was lost from her skin, but if either had thought to continue the dance the music suddenly switched to a heavy far more modern beat that made the teenagers in the room let out a loud whoop and rush onto the dance floor in the hopping of the modern music that had them both suddenly surrounded by their pupils. The lights darkened as the DJ changed the lighting to a mixture of club lights. Across the sea of heads Hermione and Severus's eyes met one last time before Hermione's arm was grabbed by a group of her Gryffindor girls and she was dragged into the crowd to dance with them.

Severus retreated to the edge of the room and picked up a glass of punch. The loud beat a far cry from the beautiful cello that had echoed across the hall before. He hated the noise, the dim lighting and everything about the school dances, but watching Hermione in the center of the dance floor laughing as she encouraged a group of shy 12-year-olds to come and dance wildly with her, somehow that night he found a new appreciation for them.


	18. Chapter 18

Beth had taken three shifts at the hospital to avoid going home and although Malcolm had gone so far as to call and demand that she reappear she hadn't instead curling up on her sofa in her office to catch some sleep when finally her body couldn't keep up the insane pace. It was Friday night. She was pretty sure of it, although time was starting to blend together in ways that left her feeling a bit disoriented.

Mariella a nurse assigned to her docket had peaked her head in a while ago to see if she needed a blanket but otherwise she had been left alone. Mariella was blissfully a rather oblivious soul and unless it involved a hot boy she wasn't overly likely to notice other people. Not that she wasn't good at her job, she was an excellent nurse but no one would have called the girl bright. It worked in Beth's favor the last few years because Mariella never questioned the number of nights she spent on the sofa here, or the number of sick days she took.

The problem with being on the sofa was that she had time to think and she didn't want to think anymore than she wanted to be home tonight. She wanted to go to Minerva and be held and cuddled and told that everything was alright, but Minerva had a function with the school tonight and Beth was too afraid that if she went tonight she would figure out something was wrong. Then what would happen? Minerva would run in screaming and threatening Malcolm? As good as MInerva was at spellcraft, Malcolm was a trained Auror. The thought of her lover being hurt because of her sickened her. No this was her battle to fight she couldn't drag Minerva into it and how could she explain to her why she had put herself in this position to begin with?

She wasn't stupid she knew that what Malcolm did to her was wrong. She understood that he raged out of control and hurt her. She knew he was sick. She just couldn't find it in her soul to blame him for it when she knew who his father had been. She didn't love him, never had but she had made a promise and she intended to keep it. She couldn't give up now that she had come this far but each time he raged like this it got harder.

Finally, she gave up. She couldn't sleep, even if she needed to and wanted to, so instead she pulled herself up off the sofa and picked up a well worn photograph running her fingers over the edge of the frame. In the picture a younger version of herself smiled and waved at the person taking the picture. Another young woman had her arms wrapped around her in a hug her head on her shoulder and also waving at the camera. She looked a great deal like Malcolm all dark hair and dashing good looks.

Beth wasn't sure how long she sat there staring at that picture. Sometimes wizarding pictures were cruel, they could make you believe for just a moment with their movement that people who were gone were still there, make you expect to see them open the door at any moment and walk right through. It was a page that pulled her away from her thinking.

"Dr. Chambers code green, code green Dr. Chambers."

This is what she had asked for by being on call. Something to do so she didn't need to think and although she was bone tried she welcomed the distraction. Setting the frame down carefully she stood and fixed her hair heading out the door of her office to deal with the emergency. Behind her, in the frame the younger happier version of herself kept smiling and waving.

*****

It was late when the dance ended. Storm clouds had gathered over the Great Hall indicating that it would rain soon but that didn't bother any of the students as the music finally ended and they wearily trekked back to their common rooms sharing whispered gossip among the houses as they parted. Severus stayed behind to chase the older students he found snogging in corners back to their houses. He was very used to the teenagers and of all the professors he was the one that ensured they wouldn't dare stop to resume on the way back.

Hermione on the other hand couldn't stop thinking about Severus and although it wasn't the potion she was thinking about, it was the way his arms felt wrapped around her, she headed back to the labs in the dungeons with the excuse of checking on the spells that surrounded their new potion. She knew how to unlock the door and slipped in still in her formal gown. She had no intention of brewing anything so she was fairly sure she was safe from spills even in the pretty dress.

The lab was so dark without the lights on at this time of night that she couldn't see anything except the glowing diagnostics charm that surrounded the bottles they had made earlier. Everything else cast eerie shadows on the walls and Hermione couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine. Long experience told her that her fear of the dark was a reasonable one. Raising her wand she whispered "Lumos." Just so that she could see the candles in the room that needed to be lit. Usually the house elves did it before classes but now she had to find at least one candlestick herself. Thankfully she immediately saw the outline of one on the desk in the corner. Walking over to the candles she waved her hand over them casting a wordless charm to light them. She sighed in relief when the room burst into light chasing away some of the shadows that crept along walls. She was about to move towards the center when her own name caught her attention on the desk. Furrowing her brow she pulled a letter from the bottom of a pile of marking that was just peaking through.

_Hermione_

_You think you are free but you know that guilt will always haunt you! There is nothing you can do to escape. Nowhere you can run. Always you will know that you are a murderer and deserve to die! Soon you will be where you belong! I will make sure of it. _

_Harrietta Mason_

Hermione blinked at the letter. It was another death threat. Another letter that was directed to her and she gasped backing away from the pile of papers on her desk. She had never seen this one before so what was it doing on the desk of Severus Snape. On the desk of the man, she had just danced with. Just begun to think she was feeling something for. Her hand trembled on the note. She didn't want to believe that Severus could be sending her the letters, but here was the proof sitting on his desk clear as day.

She dropped the note like it was poisoned, for all she knew it was and looked around the room wildly. Just in time to see a figure appear in the doorway, dashing in his formal wear, he managed a surprise.

"Hermione." Just before she turned and bolted from the Lab space through the classroom door and out into the hallway of the dungeons. He turned following after her and calling out after her "Wait, what?" and then he saw it sitting on top of the stack of papers he had been grading and exploded "Shite!" turning to chase after her as he saw her skirts disappear around the corner of the Dungeons and head back up towards the main castle. He couldn't let her go after seeing that. He had to catch her. When he got to the top of the stairs however, a crack of thunder followed by lightning illuminated the sky momentarily making the hallways of the old castle light. but Hermione Granger had disappeared and Severus was standing alone in the empty halls of Hogwarts.


	19. Chapter 19

Hermione escaped to the very top of the astronomy tower. Panting hard when she reached the top of the steps. Her whole body was ridged and she shivered with the cold wind that blew through space. It was nothing like it had been at the beginning of the school year, now at the end of September, the weather had taken a turn towards fall and the sleeveless dress she was wearing did nothing to protect her from that chill. She was sure she had given the potions master the slip in the ever-twisting turns of the castle. That wasn't the hard part. The hard part was realizing that he had been chasing her after she found yet another threatening letter. Just when she had started to trust him. Was he really the one who had sent her everything? For what purpose? She started out at the storm as if it would give her answers, as usual, the only response she got to her dark mood was the clap of thunder in the distance.

In the flicker of lightning that followed she caught a shadow move to her right and in a flurry of movement, she pulled her wand training it on the dark shadow behind her. "Don't come near me, I swear to all the gods!" she shouted over the din of the storm. Panic taking hold of her.

She looked like a vengeful goddess against the backdrop of the storm. The tower was round with several entrances and exits all leading to the shifting staircases of the castle, but tonight it was too dark and the wind that whipped around them at this height made his robes catch against his body and her dress move forward around the curves of her body Except for the flashes of lightening the space was dark, only the pillars against the sky could be easily seen. Each flash of lightning made her blue dress look more white than blue and with her wand trained on him her hair beginning to fall down from her bun in brown waves he could understand how it was this slight girl had been able to take on the forces of darkness. Her eyes blazed as she watched him but he was intently aware of the space they were in. He came here often in an attempt to desensitize himself to it, but old nightmares lingered for him just as readily as for her. The last time someone had pulled a wand on him up here, he had killed them.

"Hermione please," he called over the din of lightning but it was reflex that had him pull his own wand when another flash of lightning made the shadows play tricks on him, off to his right. His body was stealed for the attack and even a deep breath couldn't dispel the tension building under his skin.

"Please?!" she shouted over the din of the storm. "Please what? I'm not doing bloody well anything until you explain yourself!" he looked from left to right then back to the girl in the center of the room, but when the lightning flashed again it wasn't her he saw, it was wisps of white hair and an old mans accepting fate.

"NO!" he screamed into the storm. "Not again, I will not do it again!" his hand shook as he felt the room go dark. "Fuck you, you old bastard, you will NOT make me do it again!" Hermione paused as he started to rant and rave.

"Severus…" she started lowering her wand slightly the confusion she felt softening her voice. He wasn't seeing her anymore and she knew it, but suddenly there were two very different sets of emotions warring with each other and she wasn't sure if she wanted to be worried about him in this moment.

"NO! Fuck you I don't want to do this." he dashed forward grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her. "I do NOT want to kill you." Hermione could feel his harsh grip digging into her shoulders. See the wildness that danced in the obsidian depths of his gaze.

"Then don't kill me." she whispered back her body had decided for her and settled on worry for the man who had become her rock. Slowly so as not to agitate him she slipped her wand back into her robes and let her muscles relax in his grip. That seemed to change something Severus took two steps back looking at her again as if he didn't know who she was. Straight into her eyes, before he took a potion he had been hiding in his pocket and passed out cold on stone of the tower.  
Watching him drop Hermione crept forward reaching with the toe of her shoe to poke him then she reached carefully to pick up the vial. She sniffed the contents to be sure she knew what it was. It was of course the same potion she carried. Her hair moved about her features now in the wind that seemed to only be getting stronger and she shivered from the cold. A puff of her own breath indicating that the temperature was dropping. He wouldn't be safe up here until morning, that was a sure thing. Chewing on her lip she pulled her wand out again and levitated him off the floor. He wouldn't appreciate being taken to the Hospital wing, although it would be a good payback for his taking her there. She was nicer however, and decided she would take him to his rooms. Whatever it was he had done to end up with that letter on his desk they could sort that out in the morning and if he was lucky she would decide to let him keep breathing.

****

Somewhere in the early morning, Severus opened his eyes. He had no idea what time it was but his head felt like he had downed an entire bottle of firewhiskey the night before. He wished he had. Gradually the events of the night before came back to him and he sat up in a rush, pushing back the covers, Hermione! Had he hurt her? He was just about to grab his clothing when he realized something was very strange here. Usually, when this happened he woke up on the floor somewhere with his back aching. Instead, he found himself pushing back covers. It took him yet another minute to realize they were his covers and he was in his bed. Rubbing his eyes he looked around the space. It was as it always was, shades of Slytherin green decorating the large king size four poster in the center of the room and the two chairs that sat before the fireplace. The wood of the furniture was dark mahogany and had likely been in the castle for as long as there had been a Slytherin house. Nevertheless, the space was comfortable and a matching dresser, trunk, and armoire rounded out the well-appointed bedroom set.

No, everything was as it should be, except for the splash of blue that decorated one of his armchairs. She had turned the chair from the fire so that it was facing the bed and now Hermione was sleeping peacefully stretched across it, her wand in her lap. It must have been her who brought him here he realized and relief flooded through him. Until he saw the bruising that etched into her shoulders now. Had he done that? He couldn't remember. Guilt washed over him like a sickening wave that he loathed himself for. It was a weak emotion and yet he experienced it each and every time he lost control like that.

Perhaps it was his lying down again that stirred her but Hermione jolted awake in the chair, sunlight streamed in through the window and for the first time, Hermione realized that Snape's bedrooms were not underground but rather built into the side of the castle right before the dip towards the lake. It gave the room a much more airy feeling than it would have had in the darkness but the sunlight didn't save him from her raising her wand to him instantly.

"Why did you have a letter with a death threat to me on your desk." She wasn't in the mood to beat around the bush apparently. He wasn't sure if he was glad or instantly annoyed.

"Because I re-routed your mail," he answered not having the patience or the tact this morning to say it any other way. "And for the love of Merlin Hermione, if you scream at me I am going to hex you."

"Good luck." she immediately answered "your wand is in the sitting room. Why?"

"I don't need my wand." he groaned again and she realized that he was likely right but waited until he answered the rest of her question " I needed to see what was going on to help you and I can't do that if you are constantly having panic attacks from the things I am trying to help you from."

"I didn't ask for your help" she clipped back her eyes suddenly cold. He knew that look it was the one she had worn before school started, the one that locked everyone around her out. "I don't want your pity."

"Good because I don't pity you in the least." he sat up again rubbing his head "I pity the man with a bloody awful headache you are waking up with your nonsense."

"A headache isn't going to bloody get you out of this conversation Severus Snape! I honestly want to know on what planet you think you have the right to reroute my mail, open it without me, hide it from me and give me your gods damned excuses!" Now she was getting angry, and although she had started with her voice lowered it was slowly rising and she moved to stand. Severus not wanting to be below her stood as well.

"I'm not giving excuses I was trying to protect you!" he exclaimed tossing his hands up in the air.

"Protect me?! I haven't been protected since I was 11 years old and came to this castle. I have fought in a war, been tortured and killed people. No one protected me then, but you think I needed to be protected from a LETTER now?" she fumed stepping closer to him "How do I even know YOU didn't write it?" the look that entered his eyes was something he couldn't prevent. There was hurt there, real hurt when she spoke of not being protected and the possibility he could even consider harming her. She saw it immediately and hated the guilt she felt in return.

"I am not a nice man Hermione Granger. I am a spy at heart. I will sneak behind your back and do whatever it is I feel is necessary. I have no stopping point. I know this about myself. I also know that I will never allow anything to hurt you. I should have been there when you needed me. Perhaps I should have died with that snake because I still don't know how to….." his speech was cut off by the hard smack that echoed through the small bedroom and he raised his hand to his stinging cheek his eyes holding the fuming brunette before him.

"Don't. EVER. Say you should be dead to me again." she stopped blinking back tears that she couldn't control but her body shook from the fury that her tiny frame could barely contain. "Don't you dare." the words were whispered this time cut off by the emotion she was experiencing.

Severus wasn't sure what possessed him but something did and his hands reached out before he could contain himself pulling her body against him. When their lips met it was heated his need for her to understand why he had done what he had written on his tongue as it pushed past her lips and explored her mouth. He could feel the pressure of her hands against his chest and the tension of her body that ached and pulled like a bowstring. He was aware there was a moment when he could have gone flying across the room but instead, she surprised him by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his closer. His hand slipped to her waist pulling her hips flush against his body and for the first time since they had begun this argument he realized he was shirtless. She must have removed it the night before, but he couldn't be bothered to care now the chiffon of her dress grazed over his skin leaving him aching for this to continue.

Then when she backed him up into the bed continuing the heated kiss in a way that left him trying to breathe. When his back landed on the mattress with her legs straddled over him he was awestruck by the woman that she turned into. Powerful in a way that had him almost tempted to give in to her whims and desires and sure he was having some sort of drug-induced fantasy. Some part of him told him to be careful, after all, she could be planning on killing him while he was defenseless, but that all ended she reached down and pulled the blue dress over her head exposing her body to him, he would have gladly let her have whatever she wanted even if that was his death.

He was hard as a stone just from the feeling of her heat between his legs. Under the gown, she was wearing a garter and lace stays as well as a matching black lace bra and pantie set. It was just sheer enough that he could see her skin through it and the evidence of her pert pink nipples in the bra. She was going to drive him mad he was sure of it, and he could no more stop himself from continuing this than he could have ceased the flow of time. He leaned up to flick his tongue against the space between her breasts tasting the salt and sweetness of her skin while his hands ran up her sides, the back of his fingernails dragging patterns against her. His thumbs caught the underside of her breasts the moment that she shivered and then he moved leaning her back over the bed so that he took back control from her he groaned his pleasure to whatever gods had seen fit to bring him this woman. Spurred on by the whimper of pleasure when she wriggled in his arms he bit down on one of her nipples through the lace, the torment of not being able to taste her skin worth it for the gasp he got in return. It made him ache, in a way he never had before and his shocked himself reaching for the lace of the bra and pulling it down so he could bite the now exposed nipple. She rocked with each moan of pleasure driving him towards a fever, his eyes closing as he fought to regain control. He would be damned if this ended before she was screaming his name to every god in the heavens.

Taking the bra in his hands he ripped it down the center tearing it from her skin. The rend fo fabric leaving him satisfied with the feral pleasure it brought, but not nearly as much as the way she said his name her throat tight and her breath short "O..oh yesss Severus." He groaned in response to her feeling something low in his stomach begin to burn as his desire for her only increased leaving him thrusting upward the barrier of fabric between them holding him back making him swear under his breath but it was clear from her next words she felt the same.

"Now," she demanded, rocking her hips harder into him. "Now I want you inside me."

Severus was only too happy to comply. Pulling her panties until he realized they were trapped under the garters snaps. Frustration at anything that delayed him from her making him tear the lace apart throwing them to the pile of ruined undergarments. Looking up at her body he caught his breath, she was exposed to him now and look of her legs wrapped in the nylon and her heels with nothing covering her wet folds made him ache. Before he could address his pants she was tearing them from his body equally impatient to have him it seemed and the feeling of her fingers grazing against the hard ache of him had him trembling. "You are sure you want this?" the reply was hot and breathy and contained no doubt in the least.

"Yes, I want you inside me, now." her hands had coiled to claws and she was taking them down his chest leaving scratches in the wake of them until they trailed further down his hips. He cried out arching his hips against the angry woman over him and some part of him knew he didn't deserve to be touching her at all right now. It made him cry out as he shifted his weight toying with her as his hard cock spread her wetness over the aching bud of pleasure he found between her legs his hands going to her hips as he steadied her encouraging her to move with him and against him. She was so wet. Wet for him and he marveled at it, lost to the wonder that a woman like this could be begging him to be inside her.

"Fuck Hermione." he gasped before sinking himself deep into her core, crying out the moment he felt her wrapped around him. She was so tight and he was so hard he almost exploded right then, but he was no teenager filled with the inexperience of youth. So he breathed through the initial shock and then began to thrust upwards spurred on by her cries of pleasure that left him pulling her body ever closer to him, the sight of her moving on top of him leaving him with awe and her Cries of pleasure left him wanting to be a part of her forever.

It was the most wonderful thing he had ever felt, sex up until this moment had been stolen moments where quick pleasure was the only motivation. After the war, he hadn't been with anyone after all social recluses don't go on dates but this, this was beyond even his fantasies. He encouraged her legs to move so that she was wrapped around his waist and she cried out when he went deeper her whole back arching into him. She shivered with each thrust again and again and he made no attempt to quiet her instead his own moans joined into hers.

"Yes, Severus, yes harder." she gasped somewhere in the middle and Severus was taken at the beauty in his arms, each and every one of her passionate responses making him more and more desperate to see her pleasure to fulfillment. He reached for her pulling her against him so she was flush to his torso another hand going to her already sensitive breasts and toying with her left nipple in circles making it hard in his fingers all over again. His whole body was on fire now from the weight of her responses to him. Her hands seemed to be everywhere now, along his chest against his hips moving into his hair, and each touch left a flame in their wake. "Do you like this?" he whispered against her ear, moving his hips hard into her so as to make her breasts bounce as he asked.

"YES." she gasped "SEVERUS GODS YES!" she cried out loud enough that if he hadn't been sure the old stone of the castle could mute anything surely someone would have heard her. It was exactly what he wanted and he groaned against her ear "Cum for me." she did her body trembling as she rocked over the edge and into oblivion each and every one of her shivers seeming to travel into his body as well. He wanted to hold back to give her this pleasure over and over again until he begged her to stop but he couldn't. She already owned him. Everything he was, was suddenly laid bare for this woman and his body begged for release. With a moan of his own pleasure, he felt himself twitch and release inside her. Feeling her body tighten around him and follow after in a way that made him feel whole.

When he collapsed unable to support their weight they both did turning them a boneless pile of limbs that gasped for air. Trembling with the exertion and emotion of what they had just done. He was still in shock, his body aching with release but it was the emotion that overwhelmed him. He was no virgin, but he had never had someone in his bed who wanted him as desperately as she did. He wondered at it as he stroked her skin, unable to believe that it had really happened. He couldn't dare to shift his position for fear that it was some sort of dream and Hermione might not be there when he did.

Finally, Severus moved pulling Hermione with him so she was cuddled against his torso, one hand gently playing with the hair that was now wild and spilled in curls over his arm. Neither of them talked for a long time, just enjoying the moment between them. "You know." Severus finally said looking down to Hermione as he watched the early morning sunlight drift through her hair. "I likely could have found a way other than stealing your mail to go about this. However, if this is what you do when you're angry. I am sorely tempted to discover what happens when you are pleased with my actions." the little grump that happened beside him made him grin until she punched him hard in the arm right where all the nerve endings gathered sending tingles down his arm that left him unable to flex his fingers. He had forgotten she grew up with boys.

"Don't ever go through my things again!" she huffed before curling up beside him and happily stroking his stomach. Severus chuckled lightly, she was a hellcat but some part of his brain told him he loved that.


	20. Chapter 20

everus lay there for a long time, just holding Hermione against him. He didn't know how to describe the feeling of having her there, naked and content. He knew they had things they needed to talk about but he couldn't bring himself to break the spell that seemed to linger over them. Finally, as time inched on he knew he had to.

"Hermione, we need to speak about that letter," he said softly playing with her hair.  
A soft "Mmmmm." of sleep and contentment coming from her. He hated waking her up but it was important. "Hermione." he leaned in whispering against the shell of her ear "You're late for class." his hand roamed down her body as he said it, taking full advantage of her naked form before she bolted upright in the bed with a gasp

"Oh, oh no what time is it!" and she looked around for her clothing. "Oh, bloody hell! Where is my dress!" but the laughter from the man beside her gave away his intent and before he could defend himself he was getting beaten with a pillow.

"You asshole!" she exclaimed as he continued to laugh genuinely enjoying the sight of Hermione mostly naked and wielding a pillow as if it was a weapon. He made a promise to himself right then and there he was going to get her angry as often as possible especially when she straddled his hips again to get a better vantage point, clearly unaware of the effect she was having on his body. When her wild throws with her weapon had him hard and aching again and he couldn't take it any longer he reached up catching her hands and holding one in each hand with a chuckle.

"Finished?" He asked shifting his hips so he wasn't pushing against anything important.

"NO." she snapped "let go of my hands." but he shook his head.

"No brat. We have important things to discuss. Like why I had that letter." this made Hermione frown and all the playful squirming stop.

"We discussed that it's because you have no sense of personal boundaries," she answered before settling back to sit on his stomach nearly making him groan. She said he had no personal boundaries.

"Perhaps." he answered, trying not to focus on the fact she wasn't wearing any panties "but I took it to my labs because I had seen that handwriting before."

"What do you mean you had seen it before?" now her face had a thoughtful sort of look to it and he let go of her hands folding his own behind his head.

"It was a note from a Mother at the beginning of the school year. Didn't you catch the last name on that note." Severus asked.

"Ya Mason, but I mean that is a common enough name."

"Not so common when you are getting notes about supposed allergies that prevent a certain Gryffindor from being near a potions cauldron." Severus looked up to Hermione "Guess which one of your lovely students that was."  
Hermione paused. James. His last name was Mason but that seemed so, strange really. "So what you are saying his Mom sent me a death threat, but that doesn't make sense all of the other letters came from dead witches."

"I have learned in my years Hermione that appearances can be deceiving. For instance, most people would mistake Mason for an innocent trouble maker, but that boy has a darkness in him I have seen since first year. I believe the matter requires further investigation. We can know nothing for sure until we knew more. I would be cautious around the boy in the meantime."

Hermione nodded her head and frowned "I will but... what do we do now?" she asked and he chuckled.

"Now we go to therapy. It is, after all, Saturday." he continued "Oh and also there is a stack of letters on the dresser to you from Potter." if he had thought he was safe from the pillow he was wrong she began to beat him all over again with it.

"No going through my things!" she yelled beating his head with the pillow after each word to get her point across as he warded against her with his hands.

"In my defense, I was already going through them!" that earned him more beatings and he laughed. "Alright hellion, you win, you win. We need to go!" he was still laughing.

"Fineee." she drawled out breaking the spell that she had created with her actions as she slipped off his body "But I'm transfiguring my gown from last night and when we get back you are still in trouble." he only nodded. He didn't trust himself to talk at that moment, he was sort of praying that he was in trouble in the same way he had been that morning. She was bloody clueless about what she did to him.

It was fifteen minutes later that they both were dressed and he was looking at the dress Hermione was wearing in appreciation. He could comprehend why she was the new Transfiguration teacher. Not that it was hard to transfigure a dress into a dress, but changing the shape and fabric so completely as she did was a bit more challenging. It was even more challenging if you did it half asleep with a flick of your wand as you brushed your teeth. The blue gown had become a cute sundress with a cardigan over it. The shimmering pattern from the night before was gone and instead, it was simple cotton. She looked classically beautiful. He, of course, favored his basic black robes. What else would he wear?

They had to run across the grounds to the apparition point and then into the hospital, although when they were in the halls of Saint Mungo's they slowed their steps to a fast walk. Snape was already scowling by the time they made it to the room, just in time it seemed. This time there was no intern at the head of the group but instead a beautiful if tired looking redhead whose name tag clearly stated Dr. Chambers. Her robes were white in the typical nature of a healer and it only made the paleness of her skin and her hair seem accentuated. Beside her, Hermione felt like a troll and she turned to Severus in shock. No wonder all the men loved the woman and inwardly Hermione groaned. She had gotten all excited to meet her only to be met with the typical symptom of male appreciation. She was freaking stunning.

The room was somewhat changed today. Instead of the circle of chairs, the chairs were lined up along a central table with paper in the center as well as art supplies. The walls were still white and sterile feeling, but something about the way space felt today was more relaxed, or perhaps it was that the people in it were more relaxed. Hermione was confused and she looked to Severus but he only guided her towards the lovely woman who stood when she came closer.

"You must be Hermione." and Hermione was surprised to find that her voice was gentle and warm. Her experience had always been that people that beautiful were more standoffish but she felt nothing of the sort from this woman. "My intern told me you were here last week. I am very sorry I could not greet you." Hermione didn't know what to say to that. She instantly liked Dr. Chambers even though she didn't want to.

"It's not your fault. I heard you were ill," she said and watched Dr. Chambers nod her head.

"I was yes, but still, it was your first time and I understand how scary that can be. I am very glad you came back again. How was last week?" she asked her to which Hermione shrugged but suddenly felt compelled to answer honestly.

"It was scary, but it was also helpful. Hearing that others are experiencing the same things that I am. I don't know I guess I didn't feel so.." she paused and finally put a name to what she had been feeling "Alone." Dr. Chambers listened to each word as if she was the only being in the room. Suddenly Hermione had the absolute sense that she was perfectly safe here with this woman and she had no idea why she felt that way it made her pull back slightly. Afraid to get too close but Dr. Chambers tilted her head.

"You stopped talking Hermione. Would you like to tell me what just happened?" Hermione blinked at her had she really noticed so minute a detail?

"I was just surprised. I don't think I have ever admitted that to anyone before." and Dr. Chambers gave her a soft smile.

"Perhaps something about this space told you it would be fine and you will not be judged here," she added before turning to the table. "Have you ever done Art Therapy?" Hermione shook her head to that and turned back to the doctor. "It's alright. I'll explain it." she smiled "Why don't you go and have a seat I think I see Neville waving to you." Hermione turned and was surprised to see that Neville had snuck in while she had been talking to the doctor and waved to her before going over to join him.

"Hey Hermione, I was a little sad I didn't hear from you this week." he greeted her with a grin and again Hermione was surprised. Had he really wanted her to call that badly? "How was your week?"

"It was good," she answered trying not to think about this morning. "Really good actually." she laughed "What about yours?"

"Oh busy." he answered then leaned over to whisper, "I think the Potions Master's here are more demanding than Snape ever was." and Hermione burst out laughing.

"That's not possible." she continued "I mean you remember Severus right?" the silky drawl that spoke behind her could only come from one person and controlling the instant reflex that she had to his voice made her close her eyes as a trembling heat ran through her lower stomach.

"Of course he remembers me, just like I remember him." Severus spoke, "Mr. Longbottom had the amazing ability to etch his persona into my memory for eternity." Severus had his hands in his pockets again, and Hermione could tell he was actually attempting to be mostly friendly at the moment, however, Neville looked as if he had just learned the Dark Lord had returned.

"I umm, yes, well." he stammered and Hermione laughed reaching out to push Neville's shoulder good-naturedly.

"Don't worry he can't grade you anymore Neville, your safe." but her words made Severus smirk.

"Can't I?" before he turned and sat in the chair beside Hermione. Crossing one long leg over the other. Hermione was about to tell him to stop tormenting Neville when Dr. Chambers began speaking to the group.

"Thank you for coming today," she said to the group as a whole. "For those of you who haven't been to one of our Art Therapy sessions yet, then this will run a little bit differently. Basically, we are all going to be painting." Hermione instantly looked horrified. If they had been making potions she could have done that. Perhaps reading the dictionary, but ART?! She remembered it from Muggle school with a sense of fear and dread. Before she would work herself into a full-blown panic attack, however, Beth Chambers headed that off. "I see a few panicked looks, don't worry. No one is judging your artistic ability. The purpose of this is to use art as a way to examine what we are feeling and connect back to ourselves. There is no right or wrong way to go about this. The first half of the session is going to be largely meditative as we paint. After that, we will come back to the circle and those who want to can share their paintings and how they are feeling."

Hermione began to relax slightly. She didn't even have to share it. Well, that seemed doable. When soft music came on in the room she looked around people was gathering brushes and paint. She did the same and considered the white page before her. What did she want to paint? She didn't know, everything just felt so chaotic lately, or had it always. Every time she thought she was safe something else came to knock on the door. After the war and before it she had never been able to let her guard down.

She was no artist but she could manage a shield in the center of the work. When she finished the tiny details on the shield, she began to draw swirling colors around the outside of the shield. Something to represent the chaos in her life. She was so absorbed with her art that she didn't notice an hour had gone by and Dr. Chambers was calling the rooms attention back to the front. "My goodness you were all so quiet today," she spoke, although it seemed loud in the room that had previously only had gentle music playing. "Would anyone like to start us off by sharing?"  
The woman who had spoken last time about her boyfriend raised her hand, as did Neville. Dr. Chambers pointed to Neville to start and he put the painting down on the floor. It had a face in the center with big over exaggerated eyes and a curving mouth into a frown. Behind the face was a foggy background that gave the impression of figures behind him. All pointing at the face. For the first time, Hermione realized Neville was actually an exceptional artist. Why had she never known that about him?

"I think I'm feeling very overwhelmed at the moment." Neville started and looked around at the group. "At first I started with the face, and then the eyes but the more I drew I realized that what actually bothers me about this picture is the people in the background." he considered it falling silent but the Doctor across from him picked up the thread of conversation.

"What about the figures bothers you Neville?" and Neville shrugged

"Well they are all pointing and laughing," he answered folding his hands on his lap.

"Do you feel like that face in the center is you or someone else?" Dr. Chambers asked.

"It's me, for sure," he answered pulling his body down into the chair and falling quiet again.

"So who do you think is pointing and laughing at you in this picture?" she continued and Neville shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I don't think I know who they are. It's more just a feeling that they are there." and Dr. Chambers nodded her head.

"So is it real? Or do you think perhaps it's a fear." Neville furrowed his brow and seemed to consider that for a while.

"I think it's a bit of both," he answered finally. "Sometimes I feel like people are watching me and judging and sometimes I know it is happening. I keep trying to be brave and ignore it but.." he trailed off

"But it hurts." the doctor finished and Neville nodded his head. "It's hard to be both panicking and dealing with judgment. Who else feels like people judge them when they are stressed or have a panic attack." Hermione looked around as every single hand in the group went up, including for the first time her own. Neville looked around the group and nodded his thanks to everyone.

"So this brings us back to a conversation we had a few weeks ago." Dr. Chambers said to the group. "I know we have some new faces but for those who are new we have been talking about the importance of having a strong support system. That is friends and family who we are not afraid to share our emotions with and who know how to help." she stopped and said softly a little too softly "I know that is sometimes easier said than done." Severus looked up from the table then, watching the Doctor as she moved. She fell silent under Severus's look and turned the topic of conversation. "Does anyone else want to share?"

Hermione tentatively raised her hand and Dr. Chambers smiled to her gesturing for her to go ahead. Hermione put her picture on the floor and laughed "It's ah..not as good as Neville's." but the doctor cut in.

"It looks pretty good from where I am sitting Hermione. Is that a shield in the center." Hermione nodded her head and then found her words to speak.

"Yes, it's a shield." She managed and then pointed to all the lines outside "And the colors are well, chaos is what I was thinking when I painted it." Dr. Chambers nodded her head.

"So tell us about the shield what does it represent to you?" and Hermione tapped her hands on her leg as she thought how best to speak about her emotions.

"It isn't safety." she started and bit her lip before continuing "It's more like. Defense and a need to always have it. I think I feel like I always need a shield." she answered, "I'm just waiting for the next thing to happen." Severus was still intensely watching the doctor as she spoke the next words.

"Can you explain that Hermione?" and the young woman continued.

"I well.." she cleared her throat "I'm just never safe, you know? I feel like I'm always just waiting for the next attack to come." a lot of heads nodded with what Hermione said, but Severus noticed that the doctor's hands that had been folded on her lap tightened until her knuckles were white.

"Are these real attacks or flashbacks?" Dr. Chambers asked

"Both." Hermione answered "Every time I almost feel safe something will happen. I just want to know when the chaos stops. When does the war end? When can I stop fighting?" Severus watched as Elizabeth Chambers took a deep breath.

"When was the last time you felt like you didn't need to fight Hermione?" and Hermione blinked a tear rolling down her cheek.

"When I was 11." she answered her voice shaky "At first it, it was easy, you know? I had a mystery to solve and I didn't have the sense to be worried about myself. Then it got too real." she said softly "Somewhere along the way I woke up to what was really happening and it was too late." she was unable to talk anymore the tears were coming to fast. No one said a thing, not even the Doctor who was just staring at Hermione now. Everyone waited for Dr. Chambers to say something but Severus suddenly came to the realization that of all the people in the room, she couldn't. So instead he reached out with his voice and said.

"Sometimes it's easier when we can put ourselves out of the equation. If we don't matter then it doesn't matter if we die either." he looked to Dr. Chambers his obsidian eyes fixing with her large green ones. "But we always matter. That's the damned dirty trick of it." There was a long silence as Beth and Severus just watched each other. Neither said anything more but finally, a buzzer went off, indicating that the session was over. This snapped the doctor back into herself and she said to the group as a whole,

"Ok, well that is time. Good session everyone." and then she stood slowly from the chair and moved to leave the room quickly.

Severus reached out to touch Hermione on the shoulder "I'll be back." he said before turning and leaving the room as well.

Neville watched the two of them leave and then drawled "that was weird." he turned to Hermione "That was weird right?" Hermione just nodded her head.

***

Beth made her way down the hallway, her steps clicking on the stone of the old floors. She was fighting back tears but she couldn't let anyone see her. She wanted to run, straight through the heat of the sun if that was an option. She should have called in again today, should have known that this would be too much for her but then she remembered that perhaps these groups were the only thing that had kept her sane for the last year. She wasn't aware that there was a figure dodging nurses behind her as he chased her through the halls of the hospital not until she was almost at the door to her office.

"Dr. Chambers," he called to the running figure. She didn't even hear him so he tried again. When she still didn't turn around with her hand on the knob of her door he tried something that he was sure would work. "Beth!" and it did. That got her attention and like a scared little rabbit she looked up to him, eyes wide and shining with the tears he had known would be there. She didn't pause long though, she tried to escape into her office but Severus's hand on the door prevented her from closing it.

"Beth." he tried again and she released the door to him letting him step into the office as she fought to control the tear. Her whole body was tense and when Severus stepped past her she winced from the little touch, no matter how much she fought to control it. Severus pretended he didn't notice.

"Did you need a refill on your potions Severus?" she asked him hoping that professionalism would mask what was really happening here. She knew he wasn't here for potions, he brewed all of his own. While his back was turned she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"No." he answered her before turning so he was facing her again. "I'm here to ask you what is going on." He watched as she paused and he could sense the moment that she was about to lie to him. He always knew when people were lying even those who could use occlumency. It wasn't that he was reading their minds, it was simply a sense that he got.

"Save me the lie Beth." he looked her in the eyes again his own obsidian ones watching the woman. "If you don't want to answer just tell me that but don't bother lying and saying you don't know what I'm talking about."

"I can't answer." came the final heavy fall of words from her lips. Severus had expected her to say as much. So he tried a different approach.

"Can't or won't." He asked instead.

"Both," she answered again.

"Who are you protecting Beth?" but she stayed silent and just looked at him. Far too long for comfort. He would have tried to read her mind but Beth Chambers was as strong a Legilimens as he was, and perhaps more skilled at Occlumency. She would have made an excellent spy. Inhaling deeply he looked her over one last time.

"Then tell me at least you are safe." he raked a hand through his hair.

"I am safe," she answered and Severus turned his back to leave her office. The door shutting with a firm click behind him. His scowl deepened. Elizabeth Chambers had just lied to him.


	21. Chapter 21

By Monday morning Harry was dragging his tired ass to work. No matter how much coffee he drank these days there was nothing he could do to feel well rested. He tried and Ginny was being amazing but the cries of little newborn James always woke him up anyway. Rubbing his eyes he looked at the letter on his desk from Minerva a frown indicating that he had a good idea what it contained. Another letter and when he opened it to reveal exactly what he sighed.

"Hey Alan," he called over to the other officer. "When did you get this?" he asked holding up the letter.

"Saturday" came the answer from the other side of the desk. "That makes three now, I think you have a case, Mr. Potter." Harry nodded his head. He did and he knew it. Three death threats in a month were more than a cause for Malcolm and him to take a case. It was just Percy agreeing to it.

"Ya well, just because I have one doesn't mean a certain someone is going to sign off on it," Harry answered running a hand through his dark black hair. That was when Alan stood up and moved over to his desk.

"Remind him, Harry," the older wizard smirked, "that he REALLY does not want to give me a reason to come and investigate him." That made Harry grin with all the boyish good charm he possessed.

"Alan." he chuckled "Do remind me to get you a really good birthday present this year."

****

It was 2 hours later and Harry had compiled all of the evidence in his case, setting it before Percy in a file folder as he leaned comfortably in the chair. Malcolm was sitting beside him, his partner much to Harry's great pleasure had been more than on board to help him get the files necessary to protect Hermione. Of course, that didn't surprise Harry, Malcolm would quickly take on any case that involved kids and Hogwarts was full of them. Any danger to a professor was also a danger to the children who attended the school.

"Look," Percy said "I see a bunch of unconnected letters. All of them are from different people. I don't see how this is a case. Ms. Granger hasn't been exactly popular for some time. For good reason, I might add." Harry nearly rolled his eyes and wondered if Percy had even bothered to read his case notes.

"So you don't think it's weird at all that she is getting death threats from dead witches?" he answered "That's completely normal?" before he could go off Malcolm chipped in.

"Look, Percy." he said "Best case scenario here we are dealing with a stalker. Hell, we likely are. Harry and I go out, spend a few days at the school find nothing and move on to bigger cases." he turned to nod to Harry. Harry was relieved, Malcolm could always talk sense into Percy. "Worst case scenario, you don't want the shit we would get for not protecting the kids at Hogwarts. We all know that's going to mean a lot of angry parents." he turned to Harry. "Speaking of angry parents, Harry arn't all of Alan's kids there?" he asked innocently.

"Oh, you mean Alan from Internal affairs?" Harry asked equally as innocently "You know, I think they all are." He enjoyed watching Percy's face move through the many emotions of someone who is furious, jealous and fearful all in the same moment.

"Well, I suppose I can spare you both for a few days.." he answered grudgingly. "You can take shifts, alternating nights." he pushed the folder back to them both. "But I swear to Merlin if I sent you both out for some sort of hoax you will be on broom enforcement for a month." He looked to Harry who shrugged. Broom enforcement was sounding pretty good right now. He could do that half asleep, which he usually was these days.  
"Great," Harry answered "I'm going to go and grab an overnight bag. I'll take first overnight Malcolm." Malcolm nodded his head and stood from the chair as well.

"Thanks, Percy." Malcolm grinned in the way that made the room seem to light. "You do such a great job. I'll be sure to mention it to the commissioner at our next social gathering." Percy visibly preceded.

Stepping out of the office Harry began to gag turning to laugh at Malcolm "Merlin Malcolm, how do you suck up to that overstuff weasel?" he asked but Malcolm just shrugged his shoulders.

"He is useful," he answered with a chuckle.

****

"What do you mean you are going away overnight!" The redheaded woman demanded following Harry around the house. "Over how many nights?!" Harry continued to walk even as he spoke.

"Just one Ginny, calm down." he knew the minute the words were out of his mouth that those had been the wrong words to say.

"Calm down!? WE HAVE AN INFANT!" he winced at the volume of her voice. Her mother couldn't have done better in a howler. "Or did you forget about your son!"

"I didn't forget about him Gin!" he turned finally looking back to his wife who looked very tired and finally he sighed, she deserved an explanation as to why he was leaving. "It's Hermione, ok? I think she is in some sort of trouble. She won't answer my letters so I can't get a clear feeling about what is going on but.." he trailed off as the little baby began to cry again and sighed "I've got him." but Ginny's hand stopped him.

"What do you mean trouble?" she asked all the anger suddenly gone from her voice. "Like last time trouble?" but Harry shook his head.

"No, not like last time. She has been getting death threats. Malcolm and I are going to go and check it out." Ginny surprised him by turning and starting to pack things into a suitcase, but not his clothing, her own.

"Uh, Gin? What are you doing?" he asked her and then fidgeted there had been that one argument when she had gone home to her Mom, but that hadn't happened ever again.

"I'm coming." she answered, "well James and I are coming because I have to nurse him." Harry blinked.

"Ok, so remember the part where I said death threats."

"Yes."

"So you think this is somewhere you should go with a baby?" Harry continued hesitantly.

"Yes."

"Uhhhh…" Harry trailed off pretty sure he had missed something along the way, perhaps his wife needed to be admitted to Saint Mungos. "Why?" he asked hesitant of the answer.

"Because Harry Potter, there are things you are really good at, like saving people from danger by holding out your wand." she watched her husband with a little smile "And then there are things you are really really bad at, like talking to women. If I had to guess you sent Hermione about 12 letters that all said you missed her and wanted to talk to her." Harry stood dumbfounded, that was exactly what the letters said how did Ginny guess that?

"Yes, why was that bad." Ginny just sighed

"You haven't talked to her in 4 years and the last time she saw us it was not good," Ginny answered. "You have met Hermione Granger, correct?"

"So, that's why I said I missed her." Ginny just rolled her eyes.

"Yup, you need me." she shook her head "Plus I need adult conversation, yesterday." She zipped up the suitcase with a final click and went to pick up James diaper bag. "What are you waiting for? I thought you said she was in danger." Harry just blinked at his wife as she picked up the baby and rocked him his tears instantly stopping now that Mommy was holding him. Picking up his suitcase he followed his wife to the apparition point.


	22. Chapter 22

"Elizabeth" came the call when Malcolm stepped into the large home his footsteps sounded on the cold marble of the entryway as he searched for the woman. "I swear to Merlin if that woman is still at the hospital," he muttered under his breath just in time for Beth to hear as she came around the corner at his voice.

"I'm here Malcolm," she answered although she hung back by the door hesitant to get closer to him before determining what sort of a mood he was in. She had been near beside herself with panic since Severus left her office. He was too perceptive and that was the closest she had ever come to being called out. "What do you need?" She asked him her voice carefully neutral.

Malcolm looked her over and she winced again but was surprised when he answered her calmly. "I'm going to be away for a few nights." and she tilted her head to him in surprise.

"Oh?" she tried not to sound too hopeful. Him away was perhaps the best news she had heard in weeks.

"Yes, a case." he turned and stepped forward again moving towards her frowning when he saw her flinch. "Look, Elizabeth, I know I was harsh on you the last few weeks." his voice remained calm "When I get back everything will be better ok?" Elizabeth fought the urge to laugh, how many times now had she heard that empty promise?

"Malcolm, I really wish you would listen to me and see a mind healer." she spoke calmly still "I know things have been difficult for you since your Father and Ila died. You need to talk to someone about that." she half expected him to fly into a rage again but he didn't. Instead, he said.

"Maybe you're right." and her eyes widened slightly. Would he actually go? He had never admitted needing help before.

"I went to see Mum this week. She didn't even remember that Ila and Father were gone. Much less that she killed them." he raked a hand through his hair and moved to sit on the sofa hunching his back and Beth crept closer to him. Sitting on the back of the sofa and reaching out to stroke his hair.

"Malcolm your father was not a nice man. Not to you or your sister." Beth said softly "and even less so to your Mother."

"I know." he answered "I also know the only reason he never touched me was because Ila and Mum would protect me. They didn't need to do that. I could have protected them!" he sat up suddenly angry and Beth drew her hand back quickly. His anger was unpredictable, and in the rare moments when he talked about his family she was always cautious but he got it under control again and ran a hand over his face.

"I just want to put that all behind us. I want a family. Children. You know I love kids." he turned looking to her again and for a long time Beth wondered if he really didn't understand that he was just like his father. "Please Elizabeth, can we please have a baby? I swear I will change, I'll get help and control my anger." The hope in his eyes was hard to say no to, it was so complicated.

"Malcolm," she hesitated on the words and he waved his hand.

"Don't." he spoke, just sounding defeated "If your going to say no again just, don't." he rubbed his forehead. "Tell me instead what I need to do. What would prove to you I could be a good father?" There was the catch. Whenever Beth saw him with kids he was amazing. He really did love them. There was a possibility that he would be an excellent father. There was also the possibility that it would extend only so far.

"Go and do this case and we will talk about it when you get back Malcolm. If you promise me that this time you really will get help." Malcolm nodded his head and looked slightly relieved.

"Really?" he asked her sounding so boyishly hopeful that she nodded her head even as she knew it was a lie. She would never have his child. He just didn't know about Minerva. He leaned in kissing her lips in a way that made her feel instantly guilty again. "I'm going to go and pack." he stroked her cheek in a gentle way. "I love you Elizabeth." She felt like she was going to be sick but the smile that curved onto her face somehow he believed. Maybe he just wanted to.

Ginny, James, and Harry all arrived outside the Hogwarts grounds with little fanfare. After all, only Minerva was expecting them. Well, one of them anyway. As they walked across the grounds Harry had a sense of nostalgia he hadn't been back here since he was a kid and the school was the cumulation of both his best and worst experiences. "Weird to be back here." He muttered to his wife who only nodded her own head.

Minerva greeted them at the gate although there was obvious shock when she looked at Ginny. "Mrs. Potter." she hesitated "I didn't realize you were coming as well." of course when the bundle in her arms moved and Minerva realized it was the baby she was even more shocked.

"Don't worry." Ginny laughed "I'm just here for a night to make sure that James still has a father when all this is finished. I figured the baby might give Hermione a reason not to kill him." at that Minerva just grinned.

"Perhaps a wise decision." she laughed inserting the key into the gates and turning it which lowered the wards allowing them to pass "We are still waiting for one more are we not?" she inquired and Harry nodded.

"Yes, my partner." he looked to Ginny "Erm..my auror partner not my partner, partner with the romantic thing and the..." Ginny reached out and took his arm

"Do shut up love." and Harry shut his lips looking to Minerva who he suddenly realized wasn't as old as he had thought she was when he was 11. She couldn't have been more than 40 now. He had believed her to be ancient! Just then a crack echoed on the path announcing the arrival of the last person they were waiting for. Harry's message had said he and his partner were coming, but Minerva nearly dropped her keys when she saw who that was. Malcolm. For a moment she just stared at him and Harry asked.

"Oh hey! You know Malcolm?" Minerva couldn't even talk.

"Hello, Minerva." Malcolm grinned and turned back to Harry "Yes Minerva comes to our parties when she can be pulled away from the school." he grinned to her again. "I think you just missed her at the last one Harry." and he turned suddenly realizing Ginny was there "Oh hey Ginny, what are you doing here?" he looked at the bundle in her arms and grinned "And hello James, oh look at you." he cooed in a baby voice to the infant.

"She is here to see 'moine." Harry answered and then leaned over to whisper conspiracy "Remember that talk we had about redheads?" which made Malcolm laugh in a good-natured way. Harry immediately noticed he was in a very good mood.

"Hey, it's all good as long as I can hold the baby." Malcolm laughed and turned to smile to Minerva "I hope we aren't being an inconvenience to you." he smiled again and Minerva just shook her head

"Not at all." she finally managed when she found her voice. "Come this way I'll show you to the guest rooms." Which happened to be right beside her rooms. "And Ginny dear you and little James can stay as long as you like."

Hermione was just finishing up her last class of the day. She was beat but for a Monday felt pretty good. She was sure she was just getting the hang of this teaching thing. "Alright, so any questions about the essay on the 5 laws of transfiguration?" she asked the class of fifth years "Now is your chance." She should have seen James Mason raising his hand.

"I have one." he quipped "how come we are writing about baby stuff." the whole class snickered and Hermione suppressed the urge to strangle him.

"I wouldn't have to have you write about -baby stuff- Mr. Mason if a single one of you proved that you understood it." she glared at the class. "Or have we forgotten about that unfortunate incident last week where you were all attempting to transfigure things of unequal mass and almost ended up with half of Hogwarts missing?" most of the class squirmed well aware they had been fooling around and not paying attention to her instructions resulting in a small, if significant problem in the spells. Mr. Mason on the other hand shrugged.

"It wasn't that bad," he answered but Hermione had a sense of him by now and she crossed her arms looking down her nose at him.

"If not bad means you were almost dead, sure." she drawled in a way that even she thought sounded like Professor Snape. "Now do be quiet before I take points from Gryffindor." she looked around "Any questions worth my time? No? Good. Put it on my desk before class on Thursday. Class dismissed."

The rest of the class sulked out pissed off about an essay they were not counting on and Hermione settled behind her desk planning on getting some grading finished. Mason however, didn't move.

"You know you can be a right bloody awful bitch." he sated when the class was fully empty, making Hermione look up from her grading to him. She was a little uncomfortable that he was the last student in the class not because she was afraid of him in the least, but because she didn't want to hurt him. Severus was sure there was a darkness in him, but then again Severus thought there was a darkness in bluebirds. Personally she just thought he was a kid who needed a strong hand.

"I'm sorry," she answered "Were you looking to have detention for three weeks? I missed the memo. I will be happy to oblige, however. See you here starting this evening at 6." and Mason scoffed.

"See that's what I'm talking about. All high and fucking mighty, think you have all the power in the world." he stood swinging his backpack around onto his back "Witches like you end up dead." he glared at Hermione. "Watch your back." before he turned to stomp out of the room Hermione was faster however and with a flick of her wand and some wordless magic the door was locked against him. At least she could get this over with now. He tugged at it, tried a spell of his own but the lock held fast. She stood from her desk, leaned against it and waited.

"What the fuck?!" he finally exclaimed throwing down his backpack with a hard thunk. "You can't lock me in! This is child abuse!" Hermione just watched him as he screamed and tugged at the door again.

"James." she finally spoke "Whatever game it is you are playing at. Let me strongly suggest that you stop it now. You do not want to find out what the staff at this school is capable of." James turned to her and his face turned red as he kicked his backpack. In his anger forgetting to use his wand at all. Although he looked at the teacher.

"I have no idea what you are talking about I'm up to nothing!" it sounded like a lie to Hermione. He wasn't that good a lier.

"Well then stop what you are not up to. We both know what you have been doing. The letter you sent Professor Snape?" She watched as James seethed again. "The other letters?" panic appeared on his features and his eyes widened. There was the expression of someone caught.

"You know nothing!" he screamed "No one knows anything. Just back off!" he tugged the door again and started to look rather panicked instead of angry. "Fine, whatever, I'll come to your stupid detentions just open the door!" and Hermione flicked her wand again, releasing the spell. Letting him go into the hall, she had the answer she wanted and she almost sighed with relief. A silly prank. That's all those letters were, now she just had to figure out why the boy would send them to her.

She settled back at her desk her thoughts still on the troubled youth when she had the absolute shock of her life. Harry Potter walked in followed by his wife.


	23. Chapter 23

Hermione closed her eyes slowly opening them again. The rest of her body was a statue her quill held over the parchment she was working on. She was sure she was seeing things. Perhaps it was a trick of the light or an especially effective glamour spell. Maybe dementors had gotten into the school and she was seeing her worst fear, but no, that would have been Ronald Weasley.

"Umm hi." the vision that was Harry finally spoke. Ginny waved as well and piped up.

"Hey, Hermione." Hermione just stared at the two of them and stayed silent.

"I'm sorry," Hermione finally managed "But your not real right? I have to admit whoever you are you did a good job on the Potters, but we don't talk anymore."

"No Hermione, it's really me," Harry spoke again. "And I have been sending you letters." he shifted in that way that was uncomfortably all Harry. "So, I mean, umm ya." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Harry is trying to say he is sorry Hermione and he is really worried about you. He is here to deal with the death threats you have been getting. He wants to protect you." Hermione leaned back in her chair and just looked at Ginny as she spoke.

"And why are you here?" she asked her carefully.

"Oh simple, I'm here to make sure he doesn't put his foot so far into his mouth it comes out his ass." Ginny smiled in a bright way. Hermione wasn't sure what to feel. She was just looking between them both. There were many many emotions that both of them brought to the surface. The immediate ones were not good in the least but the ones under that were all the feelings that she missed when her friends were ripped so violently from her life. She was saved from saying anything at all by Severus walking into her classroom.

"Hermione, are you planning on coming down to the…." he trailed off when he saw Harry and Ginny standing in the center of the room. "Oh look, it's the Potters." he drawled and crossed his arms over his chest scowling at the pair. "I didn't realize you had company, Hermione."

"I don't," she answered in that ice cold way she had developed, the one that tipped Severus off she was pissed as hell at them for showing up. She stood and walked over to his side. "I was planning on coming down to the labs later yes." and Harry and Ginny looked back and forth in shock between Hermione and Severus. Severus just nodded his head once to confirm her heard her.

"Uhhh.." Harry managed. He didn't know how to deal with this and suddenly he was glad Ginny had come. Finally, he blurted "We brought the baby!" he wasn't even sure why. He was sure Severus's scowl couldn't get any deeper.

"Why are you here Potter? I think it is evident that Hermione doesn't wish to play and make friendship bracelets." he glared Harry down but Hermione looked up to him.

"He is here to protect me he says." she answered "From those letters." she glared "But it's just a prank, Harry. One of the kids thinking he is having a laugh. So no protection needed. Unless you think I can't handle a teenage boy." Harry blinked and stuttered.

"What do you mean a prank?" he asked "All those letters from the dead witches?" he looked back and forth from Severus to Hermione still trying to figure out what was going on and how best to approach an icy mad Hermione.

"They said you were a good Auror Potter." Severus drawled in a way that somehow made it sound like the complete opposite. "Yes, the letters. What else would we be talking about?" Finally, Ginny piped up and managed.

"Ok, so it sounds like we all have a lot to talk about." she eyed Severus wondering how he fit in here but not daring to kick him out. He was still terrifying! "Maybe we can start from the beginning?"

"Sure." Hermione answered "What beginning do you want to start at? The beginning where you had me arrested and thrown in Saint Mungo's or the beginning where I started getting death threats that I don't need your help with?"

"Oh for Merlin's sake Hermione!" Harry finally snapped "You tried to kill yourself! What did you want us to do?" Now he was flushed with anger when he tossed his hands up in the air still holding his wand. Hermione's icy coldness finally snapped and she yelled back.

"I wanted you to let me!" she looked between the two of them her eyes suddenly clouding with tears, then turned on her heels and fled from the classroom. Harry was about to go after her and protest that was never going to have happen when he was stopped by Severus's hand on his shoulder.

"Let me deal with this. Wait here." There was something ingrained in Harry never to disobey Severus even if he didn't really know why so his footsteps paused allowing Severus to billow out the door and after Hermione.

"Well, that went well," Ginny said with no sense of warmth before shooting her husband a look.

Severus followed Hermione back to her rooms near the Gryffindor tower. Just as the painting was about to close he slipped inside. Putting his hands into his pockets in case Hermione was about to be convinced he presented a danger to her. Looking about her rooms he was instantly impressed. Her circular sitting room was well decorated and of course, had a huge collection of books. A light blue sofa set occupied the center of the room before the fireplace with a gray rug under it that looked old and slightly faded. It was the art that really drew his eyes however, these were clearly from Hermione's personal collection and it was clear that she had good taste and liked it, even if she didn't like painting herself. The whole effect was a light and comfortable room that lead into an open concept kitchen space. Not that the professors needed to cook, but sometimes it was nice to feel at home rather than living in dorms like the children. Her place was neat and well kept. Had it not been for the huge cat making a growling noise at him for slipping inside unannounced he would have been quite comfortable in the space.

"Enough Crookshanks." Hermione managed to wipe her eyes trying to control her emotions. The big orange cat had no such ideas and continued his low threatening growl followed by a hiss. Severus just stared at him. "I can put him in the bedroom  
i+f he bothers you." Hermione finally offered. She wasn't upset Severus had followed her. Some part of her was glad actually.

"I think I am bothering him more." Severus drawled. "I am after all in his house." Hermione moved and sat on the sofa. "Hermione," Severus said softly leaning against the fireplace. "Merlin, I can't believe I'm about to say this." He scoffed "I think you should talk to Potter and Ginny." Hermione's eyes snapped up up him and she immediately looked offended. Of all the people she thought would convince her to talk to them, he was not the one!

"I thought you had my back!" He accused him and fitting him with a glare that was very much an accusation.

"I do." he answered "Which is why you should hear what they have to say." and he frowned giving her a slightly pained look. "Is it true what they said? That you attempted to take your own life?" Hermione couldn't meet his eyes any longer and he expelled a breath. It was as good as her saying yes. "Tell me why you are no longer talking to them."

"You already know, they locked me in Saint Mungo's." she clipped in response and he shook his head to her.

"No Hermione, they did not lock you in Saint Mungo's and you know that. They got you the help you needed just like you did for me after that snake bit me. Why won't you talk to the Potters?" she frowned again and answered.

"They had me dragged away!" he watched her become angry and toss up her arms before asking again in the same tone of voice.

"Why won't you talk to the potters?" and then she snapped.

"Because I hurt them ok!?" she flew off the sofa shouting at him as she continued "I wasn't trying to hurt them I was trying to hurt myself but they got in the way of my curse and got hurt! There is that what you want to hear? I'm a danger to them! They need to go away!" She blinked back tears as she started pacing like a wild cat, Severus never moved from the edge of the fireplace.

"So you pushed them away." and she nodded her head to that.

"Yes. I can't do it, Severus. I can't hurt them. Please, please don't make me go and talk to them. What if I snap again and I hurt them, what if they get in the way while I'm having a panic attack and I mistake them for... No one should be around me." Severus said gently.

"You let me near you." and she shook her head

"You are different," waving her hand. He chuckled.

"Why because I'm a snarky bastard that you don't care if you kill?" and she looked up to him in shock.

"No, that was not what I meant!" she paused in her steps.

"Then why am I different?" he prodded.

"You.." she stopped and finally said softly "You know what to do. When I'm not myself. You can stop me." she swallowed and Severus nodded his head to her.

"So, do you believe that a trained Auror, even one as dense as Mr. Potter, would not have the protection spells necessary to deal with a simple panic attack?" he asked and Hermione was forced to silence. Having her reasoning challenged was very uncomfortable.

"What if he can't deal with me," she said very softly. "Or thinks, thinks I'm broken now." and more tears slipped from her large brown eyes as she looked to Severus. For the first time, Severus moved from the wall and walked forward to cup her face and wipe away a tear with his thumbs. He expected her cat to attack his legs, but instead, he seemed to be watching with fascination now his head cocked to the side.

"You are the least broken person I have ever met Hermione Granger. You survived things most people only have nightmares about and are still waking up every day." he smiled then. "And if Mr. Potter says anything that is not exactly that I will take great pleasure in hexing him until he sees differently." that made Hermione actually laugh and wrap her arms around him. How was it that she felt so safe when she was with him. She marveled in it. Both of them had lost pieces along the way but maybe he was right and neither one of them had broken. Severus ran his hands over her back soothing her. When he felt her body relax finally he asked, "Are you ready to go and see them?"

She was still scared. But she nodded her head and let him lead her out of her rooms.


	24. Chapter 24

Hermione crept back into her own classroom. She was very familiar with the space now but it seemed strange with Harry and Ginny sitting on two of the desks looking worried. When she appeared, however, they bounced to their feet.

"Hermione?" Harry asked tentatively. "Look I know you are upset we are here, and.." but Hermione raised a hand and cut him off.

"I'm sorry." she looked at them both. "I.." she swallowed "I am not upset you are here. Not really." and Harry's eyes widened looking between her and Severus, had he put her under a spell?

"Your not?" Ginny echoed equally shocked by her saying that.

"No," Hermione said again shifting from foot to foot and avoiding looking in their eyes. Severus had gone to lean against her desk arm crossed. She had made him promise he wouldn't leave her. "I just.." she didn't know how to be honest now. "I know you didn't lock me away in Saint Mungo's. I know why you did it." and she looked up to them both "But I hurt you, really badly and.." she didn't have a chance to finish before Harry pounced and wrapped her in a bear hug surprising her.

"Gods Hermione I have been so worried." she thought she heard him choking through his own tears. "I thought I was going to lose you too and then I didn't but I did in another way. I thought you were angry with me all this time. Everyone said to give you time, but I.." he choked on his words again "Gods, I'm so sorry I didn't see it before it got to that point. I should have known." if Possible he squeezed her tighter and she squeeked. He had gotten stronger in the last few years. It was her squeek that made him release his grip.

"How could you have known Harry?" Hermione asked him "I didn't exactly wear a sign." but Harry shook his head again.

"I was your best friend, or I was supposed to be and I was too wrapped up in getting married and missing Ron and being an Auror that I missed.." he trailed off again "It was my fault."

Hermione had no idea that all this time he had been blaming himself. It wasn't like she had offered him a way back into her life. She had refused to see him in the hospital, ignored all his letters since until they just stopped coming even recently she hadn't written back. She lowered her head in guilt. "It wasn't your fault Harry." she turned to look at Ginny who was crying as well now. "Or yours Ginny." and then the redheaded girl pounced on her as well tightening her hug on her.

"Hermione, how could you have been worried about hurting us?!" she cried into her shoulder. "We were worried about you and then the nurses said you didn't want to see us and.." she swallowed hard and suddenly Harry clued in that Ginny's insistence on coming had nothing to do with keeping him from keeping his foot out of his mouth. Ginny was just as affected by Hermione's absence as he was.

Harry pulled Hermione back slightly and looked at her. "Hermione. You can't hurt us. Not like that. I mean well you can. You are a hell of a witch, but." Ginny kicked him "OUCH! GIN!" and he looked to his wife.

"What Harry is trying to say is we know how to handle ourselves. You don't have to worry about us." Ginny interpreted for him. "And please, please tell us if you are ever feeling like that again. We will always be here for you." Hermione was crying again before she knew it. She was unable to even say how much she had missed them both. Finally, Harry said.

"Now, can you please tell us what is going on with these letters." he looked over to Severus who was watching the whole scene with a disinterested scowl. Severus pushed himself off the desk once he was invited to join in the conversation again. To his credit without even making a sarcastic quip.

"I think Hermione had better start," he commented

In a half hour, everyone was caught up but Harry was frowning. "Are you sure that the kid is the one who wrote the letters?" he asked arms crossed over his chest in thought and Hermione shrugged.

"I'm pretty sure, he seemed pretty angry when I called him out earlier and you can't deny that the letter he forged makes him look pretty damn guilty." and Harry nodded his head again.

"Well." he turned to Hermione. "I mean we could pull him into the Ministry." but she immediately shook her head.

"He is just a kid Harry. He needs a good scare but I don't want to charge him!" she exclaimed before looking around the room. "In all honesty, I'm just glad this is some stupid prank and nothing more," Severus interjected.

"If I might?" he arched a brow. "I think I have a way to know for sure what the boy is up to." Hermione knew that sadistic smirk the moment it appeared and grinned with him. Ginny and Harry both winced, whatever Severus was planning it was mean!

At 10 after six James Mason sauntered into the classroom all cocky boyish arrogance. He knew he was late and it showed on his face with the self-satisfied dare that he sent Hermione to call him on it. She did.

"Your late Mr. Mason," she stated looking to the youngster from across her desk slowly rising to stand.

"Ya well, you've got me for three months, what's ten minutes?" he shrugged flopping into a desk and stretching out his body in a way that looked super relaxed. "So what are we doing tonight Proff? Something awful I hope." he winked in a way that had her frowning to him.

"Actually I thought you might meet a few guests of mine. Although you kept them waiting that was really very rude James." and she was satisfied when he gave her a surprised look. The door to the classroom closed just as she said it admitting Severus and Harry and James sat up like a bolt in his seat turning to look at Harry with wide-eyed panic.

"Harry Potter?" he looked between Hermione and Harry again and then back to Severus who just drawled.

"Professor Granger," and Hermione nodded her head to him in welcome before she turned back to James.

"Now Mr. Mason. Can you imagine why it is that we would have asked an Auror to join us here tonight?" and she could see the moment the boy realized the amount of trouble that he could possibly be in. Harry moved to be in front of him, presenting him with the note that he had written to get out of potions.

"Can you tell me what this is Mr. Mason?" he pulled a chair out from one of the tables looking at the boy across from him who had now visibly paled.

"It's umm." he managed and looked between the two teachers "A note from me Mum." to which Harry hummed and considered.

"Yes, it does look like that doesn't it. Except your mom died a year ago. Somehow I don't think she is writing you notes about allergies, is she?" Mason just stared at him wide-eyed and Harry continued. "Ya. You see James." he paused and chuckled "Good name James. I just named my kid that...anyway I digress." he looked back at the kid "This is called Forgery. Do you know how much trouble you can get in for that?" and James shook his head. "Lots," Harry answered for him. "Now we would all be willing to forgive you if you were just writing notes to get out of potions." he paused in time for Severus to drawl.

"He does not speak for me." and Harry laughed

"Ok, everyone but Professor Snape would forgive you. If it wasn't for the other things you had been up to." he looked the boy straight in the eyes, enough that he knew it made James uncomfortable. "So you want to just come clean now? Save me the trouble of listing them?" and James looked up wide-eyed again.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I know I wasn't supposed to use magic outside of school!" he exclaimed and looked around "but I had to apparate because I had to get my textbooks and it's just me now and I know I wrote other letters too I'll apologize to each professor and.." Harry raised a hand to cut him off before shaking his head pulling out another bag.

"I'm not talking about the minor things James. Tell me about this." he showed him the letter that threatened Hermione. The one with his Mother's signature at the bottom. What happened next Harry didn't expect at all. James went flying from his seat and looked to Hermione.

"Leave." was all he said "Now, get your things and get out of here. You have to go. Now - can you go now?" he looked around to the others in the room. These were not the words of someone who was planning her murder. They were the words of a very frightened young boy and his eyes had gone white showing the whites clearly. "It's happening again, oh Merlin no, please no." He flew from around the desk grabbing Hermione's cloak "Please leave. It can't happen again. How many have you gotten?" Hermione was so shocked by him that she was barely aware when both Harry and Severus moved in tandem to pull James off her as he yelled "NO! Listen to me! SHE NEEDS TO LEAVE!" he turned to Harry "Please, please believe me don't ignore me again. She will DIE!" Somewhere in the struggle Severus grabbed hold of the back of his robes and shook him.

"Calm down and speak sense." he seethed and that seemed to get to the boy who looked up to his angry potions Master.

"My Mum." he looked to Harry "She got letters just like this before she died. She said the witches were dead. Told me not to worry and then I..I found her" he was openly crying now every limb in his body shaking with the effort to hold himself together and keep talking. "Oh gods, she is dead now and they are using her name. They are going to kill Professor Granger." he looked around wildly "Please, believe me, she has to hide. The aurors never believed me last year, said she killed herself, but her wand was gone." that threw Harry through a loop and he frowned looking at the kid.

"James." he reached out catching the trembling boy. "Hey, it's ok I believe you. You aren't in trouble, but you have to tell me. If you don't have her wand how can you forge letters from her? You need a witch or wizard's wand to do that." and James shook his head.

"I have her old one. It was broken, Mum couldn't part with it so she put it in her bedroom drawer." he looked between them "I'm sorry, I'm sorry I know it was wrong to use it I just…" he started to cry again but he shook his head "I can only perform simple spells with it, write a letter apparate, maybe a few pranks but it's bloody fried, I promise." He looked around, "I did not write this." he pointed at the terrible letter on the table. Severus frowned. He believed the boy, no one had a reaction like that.

"You can go James, I'll deal with your mischief later and I believe the Aurors will have questions for you. Make no mistake we will find every letter you wrote to the professors and you will be punished accordingly. " he waved his wand unwarding the door but James didn't go.

"She has to leave." James stated crossing his arms stubbornly. "I'm not leaving until she does. I won't let this happen again!" Severus sighed damned brave Gryffindors. He raised his wand and slowly pushed James from the classroom the boys feet fighting against the spell to try and stay inside.

As they heard the boy bang on the door making demands along the same lines that he did earlier, the group stood just looking at each other unable to speak. In those brief moments, everything had become clear they weren't dealing with a stalker or a young boys mischief. They were dealing with a serial killer.


	25. Chapter 25

It was Hermione who finally spoke after James had stomped off and silence had descended on the classroom. "Okay." she started. "Okay. So Harry let's start with what we know." She was terrified, honestly and completely terrified, but she had learned long ago that freezing was the absolute wrong answer. She would feel better doing something so she grabbed her wand levitating a piece of chalk near the boards of her classroom and spelling it to take notes as they talked. "What is the connection between the letters?" and Harry looked up a little dumbfounded.

"Well, all the witches are dead," he answered her and she nodded, the chalk flying over the board.

"How far apart?" Hermione asked him and he grabbed a folder sitting on the desk pulling out his own notes. "And what are the witches names again?" She asked him.

Harry flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for and answered "Alright Harrietta Mason, she died just over a year ago." he answered.

Hermione shook her head "Give me the exact number of months."

"Eleven," he answered

"Ok, whose before her?"

"Greta Freefare." Harry continued "Dead for seven months now." and Hermione nodded her head motioning for him to continue. "The last one was the howler you got first and that was from Betsy Donovan she has been dead for just over two years, 27 months." Hermione nodded her head.

"So what else is similar about them other than they are dead?" she asked Harry. Harry blinked

"Nothing?" he answered a little sheepishly turning to look at Severus who scowled.

"Tell me, Potter, how exactly did you get to the rank of Auror without being able to explain simple connections? I seem to recall Miss Granger did it all for you in school." his tone had Harry looking sheepish.

"Ah, Malcolm is really good at the research stuff." he trailed off. Well aware that this was likely his biggest weakness. Hermione had always been the one to do the research things when they were kids. Severus gave a long-suffering sigh.

"So, what did your partner find?" he snapped sounding impatient now.

"Nothing, he didn't research this. I was doing it on my own. It wasn't an official case until yesterday. "

"Which explains so very, very much." Snape drawled. Turning back to Hermione who took over.

"Ok Harry. What professions did they have? How did they die?" She asked him.

Harry flipped through his notes again, a long "Uhhhh" sounding as he looked. "Ok, Greta was accused of being a death eater after the war. She was exonerated but because of the implications couldn't find steady work." Harry looked to Hermione again. "She was working as a prostitute in Knockturn Alley. The files say she killed herself." Hermione nodded her head to that and waved for him to continue.

"Betsy was a magical supplies handler. She dealt in rare and hard to find goods," he answered before frowning at the page. "She was convicted of forgery once in '98 did her time and had a clean record after that." Harry chewed the inside of his cheek. "Her death was ruled a suicide too."

"Any previous convictions before the forgery?" Hermione asked and Harry shook his head.

"Harrietta, she is the strongest one." Harry looked up to Hermione and frowned. "She was a lawyer. Well known in the magical community for her brilliant defense cases. She had no convictions. Her death has also been ruled a suicide. The file was closed after her death, but if James is to be believed he didn't think it was a suicide at the time."

Severus tapped his long fingers on the table. "So there was nothing similar about them?" he prodded the boy and waited.

"Uhh I guess they were all suicides?" he finally answered and Severus rolled his eyes.

"Where is Malcolm now?" he snapped

"Checking the castle wards." Harry answered "It's standard Auror procedure." and Severus nodded he knew that.

"I will go and have a chat with Mr. Chambers, see if he is more useful than you are. In the meantime perhaps Hermione can assist you with your work." he gave Hermione a look that said he was unimpressed.

Hermione just reached out and tugged on Harry's shirt "Come on, let's go to the library. We need to do some research." It was such a familiar sentence she half expected him to complain after all that was what he had always done before. When he groaned and rolled his eyes Severus just humphed commenting.

"Some things never change."

Hermione and Harry were settled into the library 20 minutes later and Hermione was forcing Harry to use the Auror database and Harry's magical codes to search for the witches names. Well, Hermione was looking through the case files. Harry she had handed the database for the Daily Prophet and told him to start looking for any of the witches names. Mostly she had just taken his passcode and gotten to work. She wanted to see the reports of the suicides. In each case, the spell that killed the witch was a spell used in Palliative care wards. An assisted suicide spell. It was designed to give the person using it a quick and painless death. Unlike the unforgivable that also gave death, the one that was used here put the victim to sleep first before shutting down the major functions of the body.

The suicides made sense if you looked at the cases individually. The spells origins were traced and it always came with the magical signature of the deceased, however as James had discovered, there were ways of hiding your magical signature with others if you used their wand.

In all three cases, there was no sign of forced entry. There was no sign of visible struggle or bruising that would indicate it had happened. There were no witnesses to the suicides but then suicides rarely had them and all three had left a note apologizing to their family for their death. The notes were generic enough just talked about their guilt. All of them said it was inescapable and only in death could they find peace.

Despite the obvious, however, when you looked at all three together they were eerily similar. All died from the same spell, all left a note that talked about guilt and as Hermione scanned the list of evidence so noticed that one thing was missing from the evidence list of each case. The witches wand. So Mason had been right. His Mother's wand was never found, why had they not thought that strange?

Hermione glanced at the list of Auror's involved in the cases and in each case, there was a different set of people. None of them were the same except for the person who signed off on the case being closed. Percy Weasley.

"Hey, Harry," Hermione asked with a frown  
"How many cases would Percy Weasley sign off on before they are closed?" she asked.

"All of them" Harry shrugged, "Unless they are Internal affairs, then they are signed off by Alan Murphy." and Hermione frowned. Well, then that wasn't strange. So what was the connection between all of these witches?

"These were not suicides," Hermione stated tapping her gill on the library table in agitation. "Not when you look at them all together, and why are none of the wands listed into evidence?"

Harry shifted in his chair and stammered running a hand over his hair "Ah, ya well.." he cleared his throat. "Hermione, there have been a lot of suicides. Since the war, ya know?" he gave her a long look his eyes filled with emotion that was raw "If the family wants the wands we, just let them keep it. They are often passed down to children or kept to remember people by." and suddenly Hermione understood.

"So if a murderer was to take it?" she asked him and he shook his head.

"We might not even notice. We would assume the family took it if they found the witch or wizard first. You know how important our wands are. We are supposed to ask but people are in so much pain." and Hermione nodded her head to that. She of all people understood. If it looked like a suicide in a climate like this it would be easy to call the case closed and sign off on it. She sighed.

"So what's the connection then? If these people were murdered, why them." and Harry shrugged.

"I pulled all of the papers I could find on them," he answered. "Greta was a real piece of work according to the Prophet, which we all know is debatable, but she was found innocent before the Wizengamot. She was accused of murdering her boyfriend who was a death eater." Hermione took the page and scanned it before flopping it on the table.

"Look who her lawyer was." Hermione pointed to the words. Harrietta Mason.

Harry's eyes widened and he scrambled for the other page he had just pulled. Betsy's trial had been well publicized as well. Hermione read down the length of the page but Harrietta wasn't the lawyer in this case. Although she did notice something interesting. "Betsy went to prison for Forgery." she looked up to Harry "but look at what she was on trial for." and Harry scanned down the page again. "Forgery and the murder of her Father." he read. "She was found not guilty of murder but the forgery stood." and he tilted his head.

"So we have two people who were tried for murder and acquitted." he stated "But that doesn't fit for Harrietta. I mean we are dealing with a serial killer, they would be after the same sort of people."

Hermione looked through the paper archive and sighed rubbing the back of her neck, then sat up straight. "Mason," she exclaimed. "Her maiden name isn't Mason it's..." frantically she searched through the old files she had gotten copies of "Search for Harrietta Bollum," she instructed Harry and then both leaned back in wonder as a whole set of old newspaper articles came up. The Headline of the last one was all Hermione needed to see the pattern. "Death of Bollum Twin Ruled an Accident." under it was a picture of Harrietta and the boy who looked just like her.

"She accidentally killed her brother," she said in wonder scanning the headlines as she spoke. "And was acquitted. It didn't appear in her records because she was only 17."

Harry looked at Hermione in wonder as well. "Hermione." he said swallowing hard. "I think this person is killing women who were acquitted of murdering men."

"Not just men" she swallowed hard "Men that they were close to. People they loved." She had already filled in that blank and worse still, the quilt wouldn't let her forget that she fit that profile exactly.

"We have to talk to Mason." Harry stood gathering the books from the table quickly.


	26. Chapter 26

Beth looked around the empty house and for the first time in weeks she felt free. Malcolm would not be home tonight and that meant exactly one thing. She would not be missed. Stepping over to the fireplace she tossed Floo powder into it and called out the address for Minerva's private quarters, Calista her familiar in her arms as she did. Perhaps it was silly but she never left home for long without her. Besides she and Minerva got along wonderfully.

It was still early Minerva might not be back in her rooms yet. She wasn't expecting her but Beth had no doubt that she and Calista would be welcome. So she didn't think twice when she stepped through into the sitting room of the small apartment. It was clear what house Minerva had been in at Hogwarts. Even though she was headmistress now, the room was still decorated in Gryffindor colours. The red sofa and two matching arm chairs with gold blankets over the back gave a comfortable feeling to the room. It wasn't especially modern or old fashioned but it was undeniably Minerva, especially with the small writing desk along the back wall under a picture of Minerva and Albus Dumbledore. Beth felt more comfortable here than she had ever felt at Chambers house. It seemed Calista did too since she immediately when over to Minerva's cat Henry and started nuzzling against him to say hello before settling into a kitty ball and licking his ears.

"Minerva?" she called out once Calista was settled in and got a surprised reply from the bedroom.

"Beth?" and then the appearance of the woman in the doorway. "I didn't know you were coming tonight!" she smiled in welcome, walking over to kiss her. Then her brows furrowed. "Don't leave my rooms. Malcolm is in the castle." that made Beth's eyes widen and her hands fold into fists.

"At Hogwarts?" she asked her. "What is he doing here?" Minerva waved her hand.

"A case, he is here to protect Hermione Granger. You don't have to worry in my rooms." she answered but her eyes danced and pulled Beth closer. "I however, do not want to talk about him if you are here and I get you to myself." she laughed running her eyes down the dress Beth was wearing. It was green and she wondered if Beth had chosen that specific shade for a reason. Gripping the front of it she pulled Beth into a kiss that was not a simple hello, it had been over a month since she had her lover in her arms. Far too long and her mouth showed Beth exactly what she wanted, her tongue dancing inside her to taste all that she had to offer, until she felt Beth's knees begin to give out under her, until the only thing that held her together was the way Beth's hands clung to her neck.

When she could stand it no more she broke the kiss, her fingers reaching out to run down her face, memorizing the way she looked gasping with pleasure and trembling for more. Her hand still holding the front of her dress she pulled Beth into the bedroom slowly kicking the door closed behind them. She had every intention of making good on the rare gift of a whole night with her.

Severus had intended to find Malcolm checking the wards of the castle but by the time he got out there Malcolm was nowhere to be found. Frowning his hands in his pockets he instead walked the length of the castle considering. A serial killer. After Hermione. It was an unsettling thought, even more unsettling that there was currently nothing he could do. If that damned Potter boy had been paying attention perhaps they wouldn't be so far behind in gathering information. In irritation he snapped at two students just for being in his way and then realized they were Huffy and Puffy. Actually, they might be useful.

"Huffy" He addressed one. "Puffy." neither corrected him, they never did.

"Tell me, what have you heard of the Auror Malcolm Chambers?" and the two girls paused like deer in the headlights. Clearly they were eager to share the gossip they were so fond of collecting, but didn't trust Snape not to punish them.

With a long suffering sigh Severus somehow managed "I give you permission just this once to say whatever dithering girlish nonsense comes into your tiny heads and I swear I will not give you detention"

"Or take house points?" huffy asked curiously

"Or take house points" he added grudgingly and the two gave an excited high pitched squeal that make him instantly regret giving them permission to do anything of the sort.

"Oh Malcolm Chambers is so dreamy!" Puffy fanned her face. "He is pureblood, old money AND an Auror!" she exclaimed. "So brave!" she turned to Huffy who nodded in agreement.

"Oh gosh yes any witch would have married him!" Huffy continued. "But two years ago he married a healer from Saint Mungo's." she pointed a little bit. "I don't even think she was that pretty." Severus almost rolled his eyes at the far too obvious jealousy. Anyone with eyes knew Beth Chambers was beautiful.

"Do you think it was a medical love story?!" Puffy exclaimed pulling her hands to her chest in a far too dramatic fashion making Huffy giggle.

"No." she laughed "The families were like friends forever, both purebloods it was basically expected." she giggled again "But I mean," she laughed "everyone still dreamed. At least he married a Hufflepuff!" Severus was getting bored.

"I don't want to know about his love life." he snapped "Tell me about him, is he well known?" and Puffy looked at him wide eyed.

"Umm ya!" she exclaimed "I mean he is Harry Potter's Auror Partner. I mean Oh-My-God if those two ever walked in I would just faint!" she exclaimed. "They have saved so many people and both are always getting ministry awards for bravery. He is hot, rich and brave! He is basically the best person -ever.-

Huffy frowed for a moment. "There was a thing just before he was married. Something about the death of his Father and Sister." She frowned trying to remember and then it seemed to click "Oh, right. They died and then his Mum went crazy and was put in Saint Mungo's. Poor guy." she shrugged and clicked her gum. Making Severus wince. Puffy nodded her head.

"Ya I remember her. Everyone thought Ila Chambers was going to be like the next great musician even bigger than the Weird Sisters, but then she suddenly dropped out of the music scene entirely." Puffy paused and frowned "She was really good actually. Next thing the world heard she had committed suicide." she frowned. She trailed off before shrugging. Then it seemed to click with both of them that it was weird they were having this conversation with Professor Snape.

"Hey. Why are you asking us?" Huffy asked him cautiously.

Severus nodded his head to both of them "Thank you girls." he turned and headed away from them.

It wasn't hard to find Mason. He was basically stalking Hermione while trying not to make it obvious. When Harry asked him to come into a classroom to talk he basically dragged both him and Hermione in.

"Look, " he turned to Hermione "you are brave, I get that Gryffindor pride and all, but seriously you need to leave." he frowned again "whatever this is, it's not something you want to mess with. My Mum was a bad ass too. She was getting death threats all the time because she had just gotten Bellatrix Lestrange out of Azkaban to be treated in Saint Mungo's for insanity. She laughed them off, but even she was freaked out by these letters. She ignored them and she died." he frowned.

Hermione heard only one name in all that "Bellatrix?" she managed in a strangled voice. Harry and Hermione shared a look before they spoke again.

"Ya, Mum really thought she was crazy."

Harry interrupted "She was. She is also dangerous and smart. Would she have any grudge against your Mum?" Harry asked reaching for Hermione's arm when she stood completely frozen. Bellatrix was her biggest fear he knew that.

"I don't know." Mason seemed to be thinking "Ya, actually. I remember Mum had a letter from her. I wasn't supposed to see but I did. She was pissed off that Mum didn't get her fully released. She wanted her freedom but Mum just got her put in the hospital instead of the prison."

"Greta killed a death eater." Hermione finally found her voice again. "Not a hard leap to figure that Bellatrix would hold a grudge there."

"That just leaves the last one to connect." Harry continued. "A rare magical artifacts dealer she wouldn't have any connection to Bellatrix would…"

Hermione cut him off "She was a witness in Bellatrix's trial."

"Shit." Harry gave Hermione a look and grabbed her hand to steady her. "Breath." he instructed.

"Mason, I need anything you remember. Do you remember the names on the letters your Mom got before she died, anything that happened that was strange?" and Mason shook his head.

"I only remember the name on the last one" he answered "and only because I thought it was weird they were using a dead musician's name." He looked between the pair. "It was Ila Chambers."

Now it was Harry's turn to freeze. He knew that name. It was the name of Malcolm's sister. The sister who had committed suicide three years ago and driven his Mom insane. He had to find Malcolm, now they had all the more reason to be on this case.


	27. Chapter 27

Malcolm frowned his hand trembling as he heard what Harry had to say. Everyone could see that he was emotional and not just those people like Harry who knew him well. Finally, it was Harry who spoke.

"Malcolm, look I know this is hard. If you want to head home and we can exchange you with another auror I will understand."

"No." Malcolm snapped. His eyes turning to Harry. Harry could see the pain etched into them clearly. "No, I couldn't save Ila but maybe now I have a chance to find out why she died." and Harry nodded his head not daring to reach out to comfort his friend in any way.

"I'll take the shift tonight, ok?" Harry spoke. "Give you some time to yourself. Let me know if you need anything." Malcolm just nodded his head, his eyes no longer looking at his friend and Harry knew he wasn't really listening anymore. He slipped out and went to go and join Hermione in her sitting room. He would sleep on her sofa tonight. 24-hour Protection meant just that, an Auror was always present.

'Hey 'Mione." Harry called out as he entered her flat, looking up to a piece of artwork hanging over the fireplace "This is nice when did you get it?" it was casual conversation nothing that spoke of the weight of what they had just discovered.

Hermione looked up from the book she was reading, her feet tucked up under her on the sofa to the painting. "Oh that one came from Spain." she answered, "I did some traveling before coming back to Hogwarts." Harry nodded his head. How much had he missed of Hermione's life?

"Did you go with anyone?" he found himself asking quietly. Suddenly shy. It hadn't occurred to him until this moment that while he knew Hermione Granger and always would, at this exact moment he knew very little about her. Who were her friends? What did she find interesting currently? Was she dating anyone? These were big questions that he had always thought he would be able to answer about her.

"No." she spoke after a moments silence. "I was on my own." She folded the book now and looked to Harry her hand coming up to rest against the side of her head and tangle in the wild curls of her hair as her elbow propped on the sofa.

Harry just nodded unsure of what to say. The initial relief that she had let him back into her life was now replaced with insecurity that she might still blame him for the divide. He didn't know what to say. Then Hermione kicked him with an extended foot.

"But your worried about my trip to Spain? Harry your a Father!" she grinned to him her eyes dancing with the light that he remembered as all Hermione and he laughed.

"Oh Gods yes I am." and then he sobered softly "You know I was so hard on Remus when he told me before Teddy was born that he had made a mistake. He was worried that he had passed on his wolf to him." he tapped a finger on his leg in thought. "I wish I had known then what I know now, being a parent is terrifying. I have this tiny little human who relies on me completely to teach him and take care of him and sometimes that is so overwhelming. There are nights he won't sleep that I think my god why did we do this? Do I even know how to parent? We can't call my uncle Vernon an excellent example of fatherhood."

Hermione listened to him through the whole thing and then answered "Harry you are going to be a great dad." she said softly "You had other examples of fatherhood in your life that you know were better than him, like Siris and Arthur Weasley. You are a kind and loving person and you know how to give that love to others. That is what every child needs."

Harry looked away for a moment. "I didn't know how to give it to you for the last four years."

"Yes you did Harry." she answered him "It was me who didn't know how to accept it."

The two of them sat in silence for a long time after that. A comfortable one, however, where they both watched the flames in the fireplace flicker from bright orange to the dull red glow of coals. It was late now and Hermione had to teach in the morning but neither wanted to break the comfortable silence of just being in the same space once again. Finally, however, weariness got the better of them both and Hermione stood to transfigure the sofa into a bed for Harry before finding her own bed. She was very glad Harry had sat with her so long tonight. By the time she found her bed she was so exhausted, she didn't even have time to consider that her life was still very much in danger.

It was Crookshanks who woke Hermione the next morning. Well, really it was Harry's scream followed by the THUNK of a cat as it hit the carpet that woke her, however she would blame it on the orange fluff ball since she was sure that he deserved it. Glancing at her clock she realized it was still early. Well before her alarm was supposed to go off, but hearing Harry banging around in the kitchen she decided that it was time to get up.

Getting dressed she wandered into the kitchen to find Harry looking puzzled at the kitchen counter. "What are you looking for Harry?" Hermione asked him only to receive an unintelligible grumble from the Auror. "If it's coffee we will have to go to the Great Hall for breakfast. I only have tea." a grunt of response indicated that she had guessed right and she laughed. Looking at the time. Breakfast was just starting, so she picked up her wand and cloak and started towards the door, sleepy under-caffeinated Harry trailing behind her.

When both of them took a seat at the head table, the Hall was still quiet. Although once Harry had finished two cups of coffee the students began to trickle in to get food before class. Hermione struggled to remember what day it was. It felt as if so much had happened and yet she was pretty sure it was only Tuesday. Somehow the noise of the students as they filled the hall with the noise of conversation was comforting. It spoke of familiarity.

"Weird to be at the head table," Harry commented beside her as Malcolm joined them both. This was the first time Hermione had seen him. He was tall and muscular with dark hair and he gave her a smile that made her understand why Harry's partner was highly liked by the witches. As if to emphasize that point she heard a squeel of high pitched girlish excitement from the Hufflepuff table. Looking up she could see a group of girls pointing at the head table. Even from across the hall she caught the words, Harry and Malcolm.

"Ya, it's weird." Malcolm laughed and before he could even sit down a coffee appeared on the table for him. "I missed that part though." he laughed settling into the chair before Harry chuckled.

"What Beth doesn't make you coffee?" he teased and then it clicked for Hermione, where she had heard Malcolm's name before. Not his really but the last name. Chambers. Malcolm's laugh confirmed what she was thinking.  
"Oh she does." he answered "Assuming she isn't living at the hospital again." he reached for a plate of sausages spearing one and eating it. "Now, of course, we have Minny but she is a free house-elf." he continued "So she basically does as she likes and we still pay to feed her."

"I would have thought Chambers House would have had a few elves." Harry mused and Malcolm drawled "It did." but didn't say anything more on the subject.

Hermione held her tongue. She was glad to know that the only elf the Chambers house had was there of her own desire. Although it didn't sound like a subject that Malcolm Chambers was especially proud of that fact. It must have been Beth's idea and that seemed right in Hermione's mind. Elizabeth Chambers from what she had seen was a kind woman who would not have tolerated any kind of slavery.

Minerva had joined the table at some point, and Hermione noticed she looked exceptionally relaxed this morning. It was nice to see the tension eased from the woman's shoulders but just as Hermione was about to comment on it an owl swooped into the hall and landed in front of Hermione. It was again an owl she didn't recognize and Hermione was just about to take it from the owl when Harry reached for it instead. Unfurling it he showed it to Malcolm who frowned deeply as well. Hermione leaned over his shoulder and only caught the name at the bottom of the page. Ila Chambers.

"Minerva," Harry called handing her the letter they had taken. All of the head table was frowning by the time it was passed around. The easy air of conversation gone.

"I'll send it on to Alan," Minerva said standing from the table with the letter. "Maybe he can get something from it." and Malcolm and Harry just nodded their heads.

"I think it's safe to say we should both stay with Hermione today, Malcolm." Harry spoke not wanting the students to overhear. The rest of breakfast at the head table was finished in Silence.

****  
It was late when Beth woke up. Stretching in the bed she reached for her wand casting a quick tempus charm and realizing it was already after one. She felt wonderful and rolled over burying her face in the sheets that still smelled of Minerva. It was Calista who didn't let this continue. Purring and walking on her witches back to tell her that breakfast was long overdue or perhaps it was lunch, Beth realized that the greedy kitten had likely been fed when Minerva got up and fed Henry.

Standing from the bed Beth realized she heard noise in the other room and that could only mean that Minerva was back in her rooms. Grabbing her lovers dressing gown she wrapped it around her naked frame and headed into the other room. Minerva was making tea but when Beth stepped into the room barefoot and wrapped only in her silk robe the serious look in her eyes sparked into something else.

"Beth." she smiled "There you are sleepy head." she laughed as Beth stepped closer to her and leaned up for a kiss.

"MMMM that happens when someone doesn't let you sleep," Beth said against her lips clearly not at all upset that she had slept this long. It was the best night's sleep she had had in months. "But why are you home shouldn't you be running this castle?"

"I was trying to call someone, but they are not at work today. Poor timing." Minerva answered taking a sip of her tea. "Want some tea?" she asked and Beth nodded her head turning to the kitchen cabinet and getting a mug when something caught her attention on the counter. A scroll that had a letter on it.

Hermione,

You know you are guilty. You always will be guilty but don't worry, I will set you free. Soon you will never no longer remember that you are lost in this world where you could never fit in. I will see you soon.

Ila Chambers

The mug shattered on the floor as Beth took a quick step backward. "No." was her only whispered sound.


	28. Chapter 28

Hermione was bored. That was the only way to describe watching the fifth years writing an essay. She had marking she could have been doing but Harry was distracting. He kept looking over her shoulder and reading what she was working on. To be fair she was pretty sure he was actually interested in what she was doing, the fascination of getting to see the secret life of the teacher, but trying to write while he was doing this was annoying. Malcolm at least seemed content to walk around the classroom for the first few classes helping the first years with simple transfiguration spells. He was no master of them himself but every adult wizard could handle the basics. The kids took to him easily and he seemed to be having fun so she didn't interrupt. He seemed less inclined to help the older classes, especially when two Hufflepuff girls in fourth year started treating him and Harry like movie stars asking for their autographs.

Now it was the last class of the day and unlike the other day, Mason was not protesting getting his essay finished. Mostly they were just grateful they wouldn't have to do it for homework. Each of the students worked silent while Hermione leaned back in her chair and looked to Harry. Sun streamed through the windows although it looked as if a storm was blowing in again. For the moment the classroom had a peaceful warm feeling that left everyone feeling calm and content.

Perhaps it was that feeling that made everyone in the room jump almost a foot when the door to the classroom SLAMMED against the wall flying off its hinges from the force of the spell cast upon it. It would take a powerful spell to break the doors in Hogwarts, there was a reason Mason couldn't get through the locks. Everything in the building was warded. Hermione was on her feet wand drawn before she knew what was happening. Harry and Malcolm on either side of her in the same position. After years of war Hermione was more than ready for whatever was coming through that door, or so she thought.

Ron Weasley stepped through the door as soon as the pieces of the door stopped flying around the classroom. His gaze looking at only one person in the center of the room. The teacher.

"Hey, Hermione. Miss me?" he burst out laughing never lowering his wand as he looked the woman over. Hermione was frozen to the spot, so was Malcolm it seemed in shock. Harry, however, always calm and reactive under pressure moved his wand from the front of the room shouting.

"Expecto Patronum!" and watching the stag go galloping off.

"Malcolm, wards, now!" that seemed to snap the other Auror into action.

"Protego Horribilis," he called out forming an advanced shield around Harry and Hermione and himself. Hermione was still staring at the apparition of Ron in front of her. She seemed frozen to the spot and Malcolm looked around and shook his head "Harry, the kids." He was unable to shield them all, they were not close enough. Like Hermione, the children were frozen to the spot just watching as Ronald Weasley walked among them.

It was the reminder that Hermione had someone to protect as well that made her raise her wand again. "Run!" she yelled to the class. Most of whom obeyed her command as she tossed a binding curse at the vision of her nightmares. Ron let out a crazy sounding laugh of glee again. As he threw up his own protection spell.

"What not even a dark curse for me Hermione? I'm disappointed." he laughed harder that same insane way that had Hermione freezing as he reaching out to grab a girl who had stayed still just a bit too long and placed his wand to her neck. "No more of that though, or I'll have to kill one of your little pets. You already know what I want."

Hermione looked back and forth between the Aurors they were watching each other and seemed to come to some sort of unspoken agreement because the next second was a flurry of movement where Hermione noticed the two seemed to move in tandem. However good she and Harry had been together in their youth, Malcolm and Harry had perfected that skill. Like a well-oiled team with Harry leading the assault.

"Expelliarmus" Harry whispered under his breath jerking Ron's wand to the side away from the girl's throat, and although it didn't disarm Ron it did give Malcolm the opening he was looking for and the girl found herself flying from Ron's grip and towards the door of the classroom. She didn't need another excuse to run away.

"Oooo that was naughty." Ron crooned in a sing-song way that had Hermione's nerves on end. "Taking away my play toys." he pouted in a way that didn't suit Ron at all. "Alright then. Guess we need to stop playing nice." and he raised his wand again.

"Where did you get this?" Beth demanded her eyes wild as she looked to Minerva. "Minerva. Please, you have to tell me!" she insisted. Her whole body was shaking like a leaf, the paper trembling in her hand while she looked at the name etched at the bottom. Ila.

"Beth, what is the matter?" Minerva asked, suddenly concerned a simple spell cleaning up the broken glass before Beth could step on the glass with her bare feet. "It was sent to Hermione." and Beth turned back to her.

"No, you don't understand!" Beth exclaimed. "Th...this letter." she felt the curls of her hair falling over her shoulder. Dancing inside the silk of her lover's robe. "It's in her handwriting."

"Whose handwriting?" Minerva asked trying to follow the logic that Beth was half giving her while she watched her obviously affected lover move about the kitchen as a woman possessed.

"Ila's," Beth whispered back Green eyes locking on Minerva's blue ones.

"Beth, who is Ila?" Minerva asked confused again and trying to look at the bottom of the letter, but she was interrupted when Harry's Patronus burst into the small apartment and spoke with her former student's voice.

"Hermione's classroom is under attack. Looks like Ron Weasley." and Minerva and Beth looked at each other.

"She is going to die," Beth said pain stretched into her voice before going flying for the door of the small apartment with her wand the black silk of Minerva's long robe trailing behind her.

"Beth wait! Malcolm." Minerva called after her running into the hallway after her nearly possessed lover.


	29. Chapter 29

"Ron!" Hermione called out over the spell she was hiding behind. She could hear the magic swirling around her. It was a familiar sound that left her shaking, reality tied to the feeling of aching guilt. "Please." she wasn't sure who this was, but maybe it really was her lost lover. She didn't know anymore.

"Hermione," Harry answered her "It's not Ron." and the cackle from Ron that followed that statement echoed through the classroom. Ron raised his wand again pointing it at Hermione and hummed.

"I wonder how many spells I need to toss before that shield fails." He seemed to muse and tossed several wordless curses towards his victim. Easily dodging the curses that Harry sent his direction as if he knew exactly what Harry was going to throw his way. The shield began to flicker and Harry and Malcolm exchanged a knowing look. Malcolm couldn't sustain this forever.

"Go," Harry yelled redoubling his efforts to catch Ron unaware, this time one of Harry's curses managed to hit and Ron turned his attention to Harry with a tisking sound.  
"You know Harry, I didn't want to kill you." he sighed dramatically. Malcolm took the moment to reach for Hermione tugging her hand from the classroom. She was still frozen in place and didn't realize that Harry wasn't coming until she was outside the classroom doors.

"Harry, NO!" she sobbed. Malcolm grabbed her shoulders keeping her from running back into the room.

"Harry is fine Hermione. He is good at what he does. They want to kill you, not him. Harry will hold them off until more people can come. Come with me." and he tugged her arm towards the staircase. Hermione wanted to stay and help, but fear had her feet following Malcolm up the staircase. Her trembling limbs clinging to him.

Minerva chased Beth through the hallways of the Castle, only managing to raise her wand to her throat and speak. Her voice was echoing through the whole castle. "This is Minerva McGonagall. Lockdown is now in effect." She could almost feel it the moment the castle responded to her words, sealing the wards even more tightly. There had been a few changes to the castles magic since the war. Short of Azkaban itself, the castle was the most secure place in England. How could anyone have even gotten through the wards of the castle?

"Beth!" she called out again as she saw a figure in black disappear around a hallway. Damn her lover for having gone to this school in her youth and knowing it well. In a burst of speed, she managed to catch onto her arm. Minerva's breath was coming in hard pants, but Beth was still too afraid to even realize how fast she was running. It was only fear written in her gaze. "What the bloody hell!" Minerva exclaimed. She didn't have time for patience somewhere in this school someone had broken in. Without meaning to she shook Beth slightly taking her wand from her so she couldn't do anything stupid. "Tell me what is going on!"

"The letter is in Ila's handwriting," Beth answered and when Minerva gave her an annoyed look she continued. "Ila's dead," she said too softly. "She was Malcolm's sister." and Minerva sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She knew this, she should have put it together.

"Right, she was your sister in law." she sighed and Beth reached out snatching her wand back. The surprise of the action catching Minerva off guard, especially when Beth started marching towards the transfiguration room again. Her footsteps quick.

"Not when she died," Beth answered Minerva even as she cast a locator spell crying out in frustration when the wards of the castle blocked her spell. "I loved her. We talked about defying our families and getting married in the muggle world. Even if we had to break our wands and live as muggles she would have had her music and I could have gone to medical school." she reached out grabbing Minerva and pulling her along even as she continued. "Then she killed her father."

Minerva tried to keep up. Beth was like a woman possessed as she ran through the hallway. "Her mother took the blame. Ila's father was the worst dregs that the wizarding world had to offer. Former death eater who regularly beat Ila and her mother. He never touched Malcolm because they protected him. No one was sorry when he died, except Ila. Killing him almost broke her." She walked through the stairs and up towards the room. "She stopped playing music. Stopped existing really. I tried to help her Minerva." Beth paused for a moment swallowing hard and shook her head. "It was like everything she had gone through she was suddenly living all at once. Then she got a letter." She said softly. "It was signed from her Mother." she stopped to pull on a set of doors but they were locked tight by the wards. Turning her eyes to Minerva she pleaded with her to open them. Minerva didn't waste time, she cast the counterspell and un-warded the door letting them both through as Beth spoke. "It spoke about her guilt and how soon she would be free. Ila was sure Malcolm wrote it despite it being from in her Mother's hand. I begged her to leave that house, pureblood propriety be damned. She agreed, she just had to make sure her Mother was safe. She would go that night get her things and we would leave. She never came the next day. I got a call from Malcolm the next morning saying she was dead. He thought he was telling her best friend. No one ever knew who she was to me." Beth reached up to dash the tears from her eyes. Minerva was silent for a long time. Only the sound of their feet on the castle floor.

"Why didn't you tell the Aurors?" Minerva asked finally.

"I did," Beth said softly. "They didn't believe me. Everyone believed Malcolm's Mother had murdered Ila too. She was old and losing her mind, so instead of sending her to Azkaban Malcolm convinced the Wizengamot to allow her to be taken to Saint Mungo's."

"So, are you telling me that you married a man who you believe killed your lover?" Minerva asked Beth wondering if she was the insane one.

"They never found Ila's wand," Beth answered in a short burst. Her voice raw now from the effort of movement and talking but she wasn't slowing down. Minerva had never seen her like this. "No one would listen to me and...and well Malcolm seemed -seems- so lost after Ila died. I started to question it. Maybe I was wrong." she turned to Minerva. "But I was sure. I was SURE the proof was there. I just had to get to it. Marrying him allowed me to try and find proof and look after Margie at the same time." she paused in her wild steps for a moment "It was something people always expected. Our marriage seemed." she swallowed "Natural." Minerva stared at Beth as if she didn't know her at all. "But I needed, I NEEDED to find justice for Ila and the only way to do that was to find that wand. My lover was dead and whoever did it was getting away with it!" Her eyes holding her; she reached out and took her hand begging Minerva to understand.

"Beth," she said softly looking into her tear streaked gaze that were flying from her cheek. Beth had wiped them away in agitation. Who had Beth talked to about this? No one Minerva guessed. Not since the Aurors refused to listen to her. "There was nothing natural about you forcing yourself into that Marriage. Two years, two years you spent in that house." and Beth just shrugged her shoulders.

"Two years Minerva, and for a full year of it I didn't care. I thought I had died with Ila and my only purpose was to find her killer. I didn't care what happened to me until I met you. Then I woke up." She shifted in her spot again and sighed "Please Minerva. Whoever wrote this letter. They have Ila's wand." she said too softly. "Please. Please don't stop me." Minerva couldn't have said no even if she wanted to. She couldn't stand the depth of grief on her lovers face. Grief she had, until this moment, not even known existed. How could she have been so blind?

"I won't," she answered transfiguring her silk robe into a dress. "watch carefully." she said and showed Beth the spell to unlock the doors of the castle during the lockdown. taking Beth's hand she turned opening one of the castles many secret passages and both of them took off running again.


	30. Chapter 30

Severus Snape was lurking about in the dungeons. He had last period free from the little dithering morons Minerva insisted he call students and was busy beginning a new bath of the potion he and Hermione had created. The spells had shown that Hermione had been right. The effect was just as they had desired. Now they just had to make a second and third batch to prove they could get the same result each time. He was just beginning to cut the Moly to add later when he heard Minerva's voice ringing through the school, indicating there was a lockdown. There had been drills in the past, but Minerva always informed them in an upcoming meeting that there was going to be one. This was unexpected, and unexpected meant unplanned. Minerva hated being unplanned.

It was then that warning bells went off in his head. If Minerva hadn't planned this that meant only one thing. It was real and Severus could think of only one reason currently the school could be put into a real lockdown. He went flying from his potions lab towards the transfiguration room wasting precious time to un-ward the doors as he went and ward them behind him again.

Minerva, when she and Beth entered the transfiguration room, felt like she was back in the war. Spells were flying around the small space one after the other in a way that was truly amazing, and while Harry was certainly containing the situation it was clear that he and his opponent were evenly matched. Each spell had a counterspell and each counterspell had a curse that left the two dueling wizards at a standstill.

"My Gods it's Ron!" Minerva gasped under her breath momentarily stunned but she jumped into the battle as well making it a two against one duel. Beth was suddenly aware of how good her Lover really was with her wand. While she had known that Minerva was headmistress for a reason she had never seen her wield magic to the full potential of her capabilities and however good the person dueling with Harry as he was no match for Both Minerva and Harry together. The two worked together and slowly the were beginning to push towards a battle that was more effective in holding the person they were against. Each using a combination of wordless and the more complicated voiced spells.

Beth could only make a vague guess as to who Ron was simply from her sessions with Hermione, but that certainly wasn't going to stop her. She didn't enter the classroom as soon as she saw that Hermione and Malcolm were missing. Instead she ran down the hallway and grabbed the shoulders of one of the students huddling against the far doors, unable to break through the wards the castle had imposed. She un-warded the door for the children, ushering them through but her voice was urgent when she asked.

"Where did Hermione and Malcolm go?" The student who was obviously too frightened to speak just pointed towards the nearest staircase on her right it lead up. That left a lot of options, the castle was a huge place and if Beth guessed wrong she would never get to another location in time. She didn't have time she just reacted instead of taking the staircase she moved as fast as she could in the opposite direction. She prayed she would be fast enough.

Hermione climbed the stairs two at a time following after Malcolm. It wasn't until they were most of the way up the steps that she realized they weren't going back to to rooms but to the astronomy tower. That storm that had been in the distance had blown in now and rain began to lash the sides of the tower darkening the sunlight until it appeared almost night. "Why are we up here?" she called to Malcolm but he didn't answer her just kept running until they were at the very top of the large tower.

"Malcolm!" she called again and this time he help out his wand spelling the doors to the tower locked.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I really am." he spoke and she could hear the pain laced in his voice the turmoil that was still there. "But this is the only way. I swear." Hermione took a step back from him instinctively. Her eyes holding the Auror as she felt her breath almost stop in her chest.

"W..what are you talking about Malcolm?" She asked and he shook his head to her again his eyes pleading with her to understand.

"You don't understand. They never understand!" the sudden fury in his voice a change from the softly controlled emotions Hermione had witnessed before. "I am saving you!" Hermione wasn't prepared for the binding curse that hit her next and before she could react she was struggling against the ropes that held her tightly.

Just then the rain began to fall and in a flash of lightning Hermione saw for the first time what it was she had missed. The crazy expression on the Auror as he raised his wand to her again. She was going to die at the hands of the man who she had trusted to save her. "Malcolm, please." she wiggled in the ropes. "Y..your right I don't understand. Why!" she gasped suddenly desperate to keep him talking to buy herself time. All she needed was time. Then someone would come surely someone would come but down in her classroom they were battling Ron and Hermione realized that perhaps she was Alone. She tried to wiggle her wand out of her sleeve, slowly ever so slowly so the wizard wouldn't notice. It was stuck in the ropes and she couldn't get it out. Maybe if she was given enough time she could. She only had seconds here.

"Shhhh Hermione." he crooned reaching out to stroke her cheek. "I understand. What you have been living with. "That guilt. I will make it stop, make it all go away." he shook his head to her again "It never would you know. On its own." and Hermione had to fight back tears he was right. Of course, he was right but she didn't want to die not like this.

"Please. Malcolm. No, it's ok. Really I'm alright I can live with the guilt." she struggled again trying desperately to get her wand from her sleeve her eyes wide with fear now and her voice raw from calling over the storm in panic. "I'm alright now!"

Malcolm shook his head slowly and answered her "that's what they all say. But I see you, Hermione. I see you and all those women like you. None of you were fine. I will put you to rest." and he raised his wand. Hermione struggled but hers as still trapped and she couldn't get to it, not fast enough. She could feel the curse coming and she closed her eyes against it. At least she wouldn't see her own death.


	31. Chapter 31

Hermione felt the flash against her eyes her head turned away from the spell that would have hit her. She held her breath waiting for the world to go dark and while it did behind her eyelids it took her a few moments to realize that she was still breathing that the second flash of light she saw was lightning that streaked across the sky and not the flash of an Aurors spell that meant the end of her. When she opened her eyes she saw Malcolm's wand laying on the ground away from him and James standing a few feet away. How had he even gotten in the tower the doors were warded. Somehow the wind had carried away James voice and surprise had gotten the better of Malcolm, but surprise wasn't going to be on the boys' side forever. She needed to help him. Panic welled in her again and desperation renewed to retrieve her wand from her sleeve.

"James, NO!" she screamed to him "RUN!" She couldn't let the boy's death be here, not in this damned tower that had already seen too much blood.

"I'm alright Professor Granger," he called back and she watched the young man's face twist with fury and pain. "He has to pay for what he did. To my Mom, to others before her and now to you!" Masons wand was still pointed at the older man but Hermione watched as the tip of it shook. Struggling with the binding that kept her from being useful.

Malcolm shrugged his shoulders, almost unconcerned that the boy had caught him unaware and managed to knock his wand from the tips of his fingers. "Leave boy," he instructed a flick of his wrist calling his own wand back into his hand. A mistake that Hermione instinctively knew James would pay for. "I don't want to hurt a child, even one who has seen more than he should have. Let me cast obliviate and I promise not to harm you."

James shook his head and still pointed at the man who was so far beyond his skill set in dueling. He wanted to kill him, it was in his eyes and Hermione knew this was not going to end well. Under her breath, she muttered "Finite Incantatem." Praying that the split second that Malcolm was distracted with James would allow her to get her wand. She felt the binding ease but Malcolm scowled and flicked his wand at her tightening her back into a binding spell.

"Leave her ALONE!" and finally seeing him tighten the binding on Hermione had the effect of waking him up. "STUPIFY!"

Hermione struggled harder with the bonds. It was too simple a curse, too easy a spell to block and she cried out when Malcolm easily diverted the spell with an almost bored flick of his wand. The child was no more than an annoyance to him. When he raised his wand again Hermione called out. "NO, Malcolm, please. Please don't hurt him he is just a boy." But the curse was already flying towards the child and she watched powerlessly as he was pushed back against the edge of the tower, scrambling to keep his hands on the battlements. He couldn't hold on and before her eyes, James Mason went tumbling from the top of the highest tower of Hogwarts.

"JAMES!" Hermione words were lost over the cry of the storm.

Severus rushed through the hallways of Hogwarts swearing under his breath at the wards that wasted valuable time. He was focused too on the students that he found trapped between the doorways instructing them simply as fast as he could to head back to their houses and await further instruction from the headmistress. It took him far too long to reach the Transfiguration labs and when he did the scene he arrived to was Harry and Minerva struggling to hold down a bound and seeming very agile, and alive, Ronald Weasley. He was spitting screaming and mumbling curses that occasionally pushed the two of them back and he seemed abnormally strong for such a skinny whelp of a boy.

"Where is Hermione," he demanded of both the Auror and the headmistress although neither one of them answered immediately. Instead, both of them were fighting with the ghost between them in an attempt to keep him bound. When Severus didn't receive an answer he raised his wand and cast "Stupify" on the bound wizard. However good he might have been even a simple curse could be effective when it was three to one. Ronald fell to the ground between Minerva and Harry who were panting from the effort of getting him down. Both turned and looked to Severus.

"Hermione is safe, Malcolm took her." Harry finally answered reaching down to pick up Ronald Weasley's wand and hold it between his hands. Seeming to relax now that the apparition before him was frozen like a statue of his former best friend. "The question is, who is this?"

Severus looked to Minerva who looked back to him and something in her eyes told him exactly what he needed to know. "Where did he take her?" Severus clipped and Harry paused.

"Somewhere safe in the castle," Harry answered kneeling over Ron and beginning to search his robes looking for a clue as to what he was dealing with. He noticed then that Ron was wearing the Gryffindor robes, just like he had at school. Someone had gone to a lot of fo trouble to steal a uniform. "Likely not to her rooms, that is the first place someone would go looking for her." He ran a hand through his black hair and pulled something from the pocket of Ron's robe, frowning when he looked at it although the charm bracelet meant nothing at all to him. Minerva snatched it from his hands a second later.

"This is Rebecca's" she gasped turning it around in her hands. "She always wears it I gave it to her on her 7th birthday." Severus frowned and looked at the charm bracelet but it was Harry who spoke.

"You mean Rebecca as in Alan's youngest?" and Minerva nodded her head.

"Yes I'm her Godmother." Minerva answered kneeling down to search the robes with Harry but Severus pushed them both aside reaching out to pull Ronald up and look directly in her eyes. Both of the others fell silent.

Severus delved into the mind of the stupefied person. At first all he could feel was a vague haziness. Almost as if they were drifting on a wave of happy nothingness. It was alluring. Severus hadn't felt quiet that feeling in a long time and it took all of his willpower to push past it and name it for what it was breaking the contact he nearly growled. "Impervious." he hissed as he backed away. "Who ever this is can't give us any answers at the moment, they are under an unforgivable." he pulled himself to his feet and frowned. "I can't use Legitimacy while they are like this." Minerva looked back down to the bound person at her feet and asked.

"You don't think -"  
"I think." Severus continued "That this was a distraction to get Hermione away. We need to find her." he hissed "now."

Harry looked at the other two and from his back pocket pulled out his Marauders Map holding it out to the two Professors. "I don't know if this will work with the wards up…" he trailed off but placed his wand to the parchment and activated it.

"Well." Severus drawled "This just explains so very much." but watched as the dots formed on the map showing them the location of every person on the grounds at the moment. It seemed that whatever magic the map drew on the wards didn't sway it.

"Here." Harry said pointing. "She is in the astronomy tower." he frowned "With James Mason and Malcolm." Severus feet began to move even before he spoke again.

"I hate that fucking tower." he growled taking off for the staircase but Harry reached out and caught his arm.

"This way." he said "There is a secret passage. It's faster." None of the three wizards said another word. Some part of all of them knew they had to run.


	32. Chapter 32

Hermione felt the tears stream down her face. There was no way James could survive a fall from the tower, another death on her hands, another young boy who would die because of her. She didn't struggle against the binding now. She looked instead at her aggressor and asked him "Why?" Blinking back the wetness that seemed to gather on her cheeks "WHY!?" it came as a shout ripped from her soul. Leaving her shaking with the power of it, the anger that clouded her face. It was unfair all of it was unfair.

"Because you will never be free Hermione." he reached out touching her face almost in the way a lover would. "I will help." Hermione felt the wind as it whipped against her back from the windows. She was turned away from them now and the storm ripped against her body. Looking up into Malcolm's face she was about to say something, but the expression in his eyes changed to one that looked as if he was seeing a ghost and that had Hermione turning her head as best she could in the bindings.

She was shocked to see the apparition before her. A woman balanced on a broom as if she had been made for it. Hair flying wild in the light of the storm and her own cloak shipping in the wind of the storm the way she gripped the broom was unique, it was as if she was made to be a part of it, not the usual awkwardness of those who flew. She had a grace to her flying that would have made most quidditch players jealous. "Ila." Malcolm whispered the sky. Backing up a few steps. More impressive perhaps was the cargo she carried dangling from the edge. Even in the dark Hermione could tell she had saved James and she called out her relief in a wordless expression of joy followed by his name.

"James!"

"NO!" Malcolm yelled over the storm his torso almost bent in two in fury. "NO! How are you here! You are dead!" he pointed his wand now at the woman but as she landed in the tower the lightning flashed illuminating her features and catching the red of her hair against the light. In an instant it was clear she was no ghost of the storm but Elizabeth Chambers. The expressions that ran the gambit of Malcolm's face were almost fascinating to watch. Shock to confusion to anger again he stepped towards his wife. "Elizabeth.." his voice held a tone that Hermione instantly recognized. It was the voice of a man who believed he had power over someone else. That warning tone that implied warning. As if the woman before him was not even an adult. When he took another step however he was stopped by Elizabeth raising her wand to him and stepping in front of James to protect him from whatever might follow and it was anger that flickered onto his features now.

"So that's how this is going to go is it?" he seethed. "Now you are going to interfere in my work?"

"Since when, Malcolm, did your work involve throwing teenage boys from the Hogwarts towers and tying up their professors?" she countered in her accent clipping the words. Her clothing and hair clung to her body from the rain. Leaving her with a slightly wild look to her otherwise pristine appearance.

"An accident. I didn't want to hurt the boy." he countered his face furrowing "What are you even doing here Elizabeth?" but her wand didn't lower and she didn't answer so he continued "How did you learn to fly like Ila?" he was surprised when what came from the redhead was a cold sounding laugh.

"From Ila, how else?" she answered him her voice almost calm but there was an anger seething behind her words now. Something distance and suppressed that even Malcolm suspected was dangerous and he started taking a step to the left checking her guard. Her eyes were trained on him however and for each circling step that he took, she matched him. "Perhaps I would have learned more things from her had you not killed her."

"Killed Ila?" his brows furrowed in a way that showed confusion. "How did you…" he trailed off and suddenly he laughed. "It was you." he shook his head in wonder "All this time I wondered who she ran to that night. Who she was rambling about already knew. It was fucking you." he raised his wand and threw a curse in her direction. Beth was ready and she countered.

"Protego!" a bubble appearing around her and James. His expression turned nasty a snarl curling his lip in disgust.

"You were her lover. The one she was going to leave with." The soft smile of acceptance and a shrug from Beth was enough to make him growl "You are responsible for all of this! Without you, she never would have defied father! You played us all for fools!" He threw another curse but it just bounced away from her bubble. It never even flickered, Beth excelled at protection magic.

"No Malcolm I only played you for a fool." She countered. "I never played Ila for anything. I loved her. You, however, yes I want something from you. Where is her wand?"

"Her wand?" he threw back his head and laughed "You did all of this for a fucking wand?"

Severus, Minerva, and Harry took the last steps to the tower just in time to hear Malcolm's last words and Harry's eyes widened taking in the sight of Hermione bound and Elizabeth and Malcolm Chambers locked in a wizarding duel.

"Beth? What is she doing here?" He frowned confused to his core and he raised his wand to the woman Malcolm was locked in battle with automatically ready to defend his partner from an attack.

"No!" Minerva exclaimed grabbing his wand arm before he could do anything to Beth. "Harry no. Malcolm isn't who you think he is." their words were enough to turn Beth's attention away from Malcolm for a split second, long enough to grab James shoulder and push him towards the others.

"GO." she told him although dropped her shield for him to get through, knowing she was giving Malcolm the opening he was looking for.

"What do you mean?" Harry called. His eyes glancing between the healer who seemed to have been protecting a child from Malcolm, none of this made sense.

"Confringo!" Malcolm yelled pressing his advantage the moment Beth lowered her shield. It was Minerva who cast immediately protecting Beth from the spell. Everyone in the tower felt the heat as the blast hit the wall Minerva had transfigured in front of Beth. Beth turned, her eyes connecting with Minerva there was a moment where the two of them seemed to understand each other and what was silently being asked but Minerva shook her head.

"No." she pushed up her sleeves and moved to step into the room "Absolutely not Beth, no."

"Minerva." Beth called out again and Minerva just kept shaking her head.

"NO!" She yelled back taking two steps forward but it was Severus who reached out to stop her catching her by the back of her robes.

"I think Minerva," he said almost gently. "This is something she needs to do." Minerva struggled against his hold but he pulled her to him. Leaning in to whisper to her "The boy is your student, Minerva. Remember who your duty is to." that caught her but the anguished look that she gave him spelled the terrible position he had put her in. Severus looked across the would-be battlefield. Tied on the other side in a binding curse was Hermione. She struggled with the ropes but she couldn't get free and immediately he began to plot how to get across the dueling wizards so he could reach her.

Malcolm seemed to watch the exchange in a bored manner before flicking his wand at the wall Minerva had created with a simple. "Reducto" the wall turned to a fine mist and began to blow away in the wind leaving his eyes to bore into the redhead across from him once more. "Would you like to tell me -wife- what exactly is going on here? First, you appear in places you shouldn't be and now there stands a long time family friend who uses magic against me without even a second thought." He frowned again and cast out with venom. "What are you fucking her too?" Beth watched him in silence her shoulders only straightening. He was a dangerous man but her body language gave him an answer anyway. "My God. You are," he said bewildered looking between Beth and Minerva his gaze finally settling on Minerva. "And to think the number of times I welcomed you into my home." he sneered pointing a finger in her direction before his gaze turned back to Beth. "No matter. You want something don't you Elizabeth." he taunted. "Tell you what, you beat me, fair with no cheating from extra hands and I will give it to you. All the answers you waited so long to get." he almost singsonged it. "That's what you want isn't it?" He smirked and raised his wand when he watched her eyes widen hope seeming to drift into them. "Good...good.." he crooned. "So come and get it."

Beth didn't even hesitate. She threw the first curse.


	33. Chapter 33

"Confundo!" Beth yelled her wand pointed towards her target and she almost, almost hit. His eyes widened in shock at how fast she had been. It was so close and she could see in his face the concentration it took to block her spell and she smirked to him showing that she knew she had rattled him slightly and before he could begin to recover tossed another spell in his direction. He was an Auror but she was faster and this one hit. His hand went to his chest as he struggled to draw in a breath, his face slowly turning purple. He clawed at his throat and her eyes only darkened as she watched him slowly begin to suffocate on his own expanded lungs. It was a healers spell, usually used to re-inflate a punctured lung in the emergency room of Saint Mungo's but anything that could be used to heal could also be a weapon in the hands of a healer who knew how to control them inside and out.

It was another minute and she thought she had won, but Malcolm was good and he managed to cast a disarm spell wordlessly sending her wand flying from her hand when she didn't expect it. It clattered onto the floor several feet away from her, ending the spell on Malcolm and he drew a gasping breath into his lungs glaring at Elizabeth as she accioed the wand back into her hands. It was his turn to press an advantage and he stumbled with a hoarse incantation and lightning flew from his wand, cracking against the real thing in the distance. Beth didn't have time to counter and pain rippled through her body lighting every nerve ending on fire. Her back arched against the pain and she fell to her knees screaming as sensation coursed through her veins and into the ground below her.

"You will lose this Elizabeth," Malcolm called over the din of the storm. "I can end this now for you. Let me obliviate you and we can go home and deal with your infidelity." he frowned looking back to Minerva. "You will not be forgiven easily but perhaps you can redeem yourself in time. I don't want to hurt you."

It was an effort to raise her wand again, later she would wonder how she was even able to do it but somehow she pointed it at her target once more and whispered another incantation "contundito Spinae." This one making the joint in Malcolm's leg lock in place as if in a splint. Without the ability to bend his leg he wobbled a few steps and fell over. The shock of his shoulder hitting the pavement causing the lightning to stop casting and Beth gasped for air now that she could breathe again.

His words ignited her anger once more "Like you never would have hurt Ila?" she asked her voice carrying although shaky from pain. "You have already hurt me, Malcolm, more times than I can count!" she raised her wand again and this time his back arched in pain the middle and lower part of his spine fusing together and crushing the nerve endings that resided there releasing at the last second before the damage was too great. She did this over and over again with a surgeon's precision driving him to the brink of madness with pain but leaving him with enough healthy cells to control his base body functions. The effect was paralyzing leaving his arms and legs dangling uselessly against his sides effectively trapping him in the prison of his own body.

"I don't believe your words anymore!" She pulled herself up from the ground pain echoing through her from the effects of the lightning but she walked towards him. Her foot coming down hard on his hand. A sickening crunch told her she had broken the fingers there. She didn't care. What surprised her was that he started to laugh. He should have been screaming. His face was contorted and he was sweating with pain but the laughter that came from him was something she didn't expect and it unnerved her.

"I win." he laughed. How? He was disarmed, lying broken on the floor as long as she held the spell on him she knew that he couldn't get up there was no way he could stand when all the muscles of his spine were seizing like that.

"Aparecium" he whispered between grunts of pain and slowly on the other side of the room a spell seemed to melt away. For the first time in his life, Harry Potter had been frozen in a battle, watching with dismay as his partner betrayed everything he had thought he was. His wand had been stuck in the spot Minerva had held it in indecision in his features while he watched Beth and Malcolm locked in a duel. The words as they appeared golden in the dark, however, seemed to bring him out of his numb state of disbelief and he sprung into action immediately moving across the room towards Hermione and he worked on loosening the bindings.

"No." Severus whispered under his breath as he read the incantation that was etched into the walls of the tower in Latin. He looked at Minerva hoping that she was seeing something different than he was. Hermione was now struggling wildly in her binds as Harry worked trying desperately to get out of them but James didn't understand. He looked between the adults and asked "What? What does it mean." As they spoke it began to flash the letters turning from gold to white in an ominous fashion.

Severus read the words his Latin perfect. "Exitio huius spatii" he reached for the broom and handed it to James "Destruction of this space. It's a timed destruction spell. It will collapse the tower. Take the broom and go. Fly fast." James looked at the professors and shook his head.

"I want to help."

"You can not." Severus gave him a pained expression. "The only thing we can do James is contain the spell and make sure it doesn't take out the wing of the castle when it goes." When the boy looked like he would protest again Severus took his arm and dragged him to the edge of the tower. "Go, boy. I understand that as a Gryffindor your natural inclination is to die stupidly, but do it another day." James mounted the broom and looked back at the professors.

"I..I'll get help," he said and flew from the tower. Severus watched him go and looked back to Minerva.

"A protection, if we hurry we can contain it." She turned to Beth. "Take the stairs with Hermione there might be time." but Beth shook her head and reached out to take Minerva's hand. Her hair lifting from her skin as she offered her magic to the spell.

"I'm better at protection than any of you. There are children here Minerva." Minerva wanted to argue. She wanted to tell her to leave but they didn't have time and she was right. It would take at least three to cast protection powerful enough to contain such a blast.

"Severus," Hermione called the binds finally releasing on her. She felt magic bristle against the edges of her skin. The crack of thunder in the distance that seemed to carry her on the edge of her emotions. "Please, NO." but the look he gave her was one that was accepting. He knew what his duty was and she watched as the three magical beings before her started to glow with the powerful protection they were casting around the tower. It wasn't enough to save them, however.

"Go Hermione." Severus called "Take the stairs you might make it." but she shook her head again and screamed into the storm. Harry turned reaching out to take Hermione's hand.

"He is right 'Minone. We need to go." He tried to take her arm but back away when a shock of static make the nerves in his arm turn numb.

"NO!" Against her will, she found her magic building again a stress response that seemed to coincide with the crack of thunder in the distance once more.

James flew as fast as he could determined to save those who were trapped in the tower still. He was about thirty feet from the ground when a powerful wave of magic knocked his broom flying in circles. Shielding his face from the blast he clung on for dear life.


	34. Chapter 34

Severus was aware of the explosion when it hit. When the world around him became a swirling vortex of fire and pain that seemed to tear at his skin and leave him gasping for hair. He lost sight of Hermione in the distance and he prayed she had run down the steps of the tower. It was that thought that kept him channeling magic into the protection spell that warded the tower. He didn't expect to live through this. So when the fire began moving backwards as if an unseen hand was gripping the flames themselves and pulling them back into the spell he was shocked. Perhaps this was death, some said that your life flashed before your eyes, but that had not happened the last time Severus had accepted death.

That was when he saw her, a golden goddess against the fury of the flames, her beauty a unearthly glow that had his heart quickening in his cheat. How could his heart beat when he was dead? It was then he realized he had seen this before. Once in a tower during a storm just like this one where Hermione had foolishly channelled the very elements themselves into her body. It had been nothing then, just a play at a greater power. Nothing like what was before him now. She was the lady of the wind and the sky, more than she was Hermione Granger and she was using that power to save them all. It would rip her apart.

"Hermione!" He called into the storm the flames following her will to move away from the three magic users in the circle of protection. Harry who had been standing near Hermione backed away but the flames didn't touch him either. She was using the wind elemental to control them. Fire was now her toy to play with as she wanted and with a powerful rush of energy she pushed the blast from the space a magical force pushing in all directions as the energy that should have destroyed the tower moved outward in a shockwave instead. There was a stillness that followed as everyone took in what they were seeing. Hermione glowing with a power that none of them knew she could possess, that no one should be able to possess.

"How?" Harry asked, breaking the stillness but he never fished his thought he was too busy staring at Hermione as she moved magic in a way he had never seen. She looked at Severus a have smile on her features as she stepped closer to him. The protection spell was long broken shattered against the power that Hermione had drawn on. Minerva and Beth automatically parted ways for her letting her come face to face with Severus himself as if they knew what she wanted without her ever saying a ward. Reaching out with one hand she touched his face. He was stock still as he watched her caught with the lovely being that she was even if he could feel a trail of static against the edges of his skin as her fingers moved over him. It was then the glow faded and the moment the light left her eyes Hermione began to collapse. Severus reached out automatically and caught her, bringing her protectively to his chest and checking her.

"Is she?" Beth asked immediately moving into action but Severus shook his head.

"She is breathing." and despite everything he worried pulling her even closer to him as he looked around in amazement. "And so are we."

A clattering sound jolted all of them into looking around suddenly aware that something was missing. Malcolm was gone and in his place a wand slowly rolled towards Beth's feet. Picking it up she examined it closely and a deep frown etched it's way into her features.

"Is it Ila's" Minerva asked her stepping forward to look at the wand herself. But Beth shook her head anger dotting the line of her face once more.

"No." she gritted her teeth turning towards the edge of the tower and raising her arm looking as if she was about to throw the wand over the edge. Then she paused and lowered her arm again all the anger suddenly deflating and her shoulders slumped. "It isn't his either. Someone's family will be looking for this." Minerva walked over placing a hand on Beth's shoulder and holding out her other one in a silent question for the wand. Beth handed it over without another word. Minerva would make sure it got home. "Do you think he survived?" Beth continued looking out onto the grounds of Hogwarts so far below.

"I don't see how he could have Beth." Minerva answered her. "I'm sorry you didn't get the answers you were looking for." Beth nodded her head.

"Perhaps there were really none to get." she finally said and allowed herself to be lead away from the edge by the Headmistress. Harry seeming to have realized what was happening was beginning to come back into himself Auror training overriding the deep feeling of betrayal that he felt.

"I'm going to need all of you to give a statement." he said to the group. Each person nodding in turn. "And I think it would be best if we took Hermione to the hospital wing." no one wanted to say what they all were thinking. She might be breathing but she had used her own body as a conduite. She may very well have traded her own life for all of theirs.

"I'll stay and take care of her." Beth answered and all of them looked around the tower again. Somehow it felt all wrong without Hermione awake and without the ability to make Malcolm pay for his crimes as if the victory itself was hollow. There really never were winners and losers in these situations but this somehow felt even less so.

"Minerva." Harry broke the silence again "I think by now other Aurors will have arrived. We can find out who was working with Malcolm."

Minerva nodded her head, she had almost forgotten about the ghost in the transfiguration room. "I'll let them through the gates and then meet you there." She answered.

"I'll be in the hospital wing." Beth spoke gesturing with her head for Severus to follow. He nodded one in his usual way and carrying his precious bundle moved after her.

Alan was waiting at the gates when Minerva got there and if she was surprised that the head of Internal affairs had come personally she didn't show it. The truth was that she had expected it, given that Alan had taken a personal interest in this case from the very beginning. He and four other Aurors, undoubtedly the ones he trusted most, came onto the grounds and Minerva walked back towards the castle informing them of everything that had happened in a calm and neutral voice. She didn't miss the pained look on Alan's face or the way his footsteps quickened when she handed him Rebecca's bracelet indicating it had been found on Ron. Harry was waiting for them outside the warded doors to the transfiguration Hallway and he nodded to Alan when he came up.

"She told you what happened?" Harry asked and Alan nodded.

"Yes, Harry if you want to sit this one out." but Harry shook his head.

"Absolutely not." he glared "Malcolm was my partner. I trusted him. I need to fix this."

"We all trusted him Harry." Alan answered but at Harry's shrug Alan didn't push more. He needed to see this through to the end. "Can you unward the doors Minerva?" and they waited while she did and then wands raised stepped into the hallway, half expecting to be attacked since the stupify spell would have long worn off. Instead they found an 11 year old girl sitting on the floor and bawling her eyes out clinging to her Gryffindor robes as if her life depended on it.

"Rebecca!" Alan lowered his wand and rushed forward but the other Aurors caught him.

"Sir wait!"

"For Merlin's sake! That's my daughter put away your wands!" Alan exclaimed struggling with their grip. It was Harry who stepped in front of him before he could rush to the girl.

"Alan, careful. You don't know it's Rebecca yet." and then the little girl sobbed harder.

"Daddy!" she cried and pulled her knees to her chest. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I did bad things are you here to arrest me?" Alan tried to step forward again but Harry didn't let him go again. Minerva however stepped in.

"Rebecca?" she asked her kneeling down so she was eye level with the child. "Hey sweetheart, I need you to answer a question ok?" she binked and nodded her head so Minerva continued. "Do you remember when I came for Christmas last year, what you showed me in your room?" Rebecca furrowed her brow and nodded her head again.

"Y...yes." she stammered wiping her running nose on her shirt. "I showed you my new jumper. The Gryffindor one." Minerva nodded her head to her.

"Why did you show me that?" she asked and Rebecca raised her head with a little tilt of pride.

"Because it was going to be my house. I knew it. I wanted to be just like you and you told me if I grew up and was brave I could be in your house which was Gryffindor." she looked down. "And now I am." she began to cry again. "But I'm not brave, I'm scared and I did really bad things and Daddy needs to take me to Azkaban!" if the others had trouble holding Alan back before that moment now he was impossible and at Minerva's nod that she was right he stumbled to his knees and scooped up his youngest onto his lap like she was still five and had a scraped knee.

"It's ok love." he held her while she sobbed. "No it's ok, whatever bad things you think you did I will help you sort them out. No one is taking you to Azkaban." the other Aurors lowered their wands frowning at the knowledge that one of their own had used a child in such a way. Especially Rebecca who most of them had known since she was born. Alan looked up to the others and barked "Go secure the common areas make sure none of the other children are harmed." and glad to have something to do the rest of them left.

"Can you tell us what happened love?" Minerva asked Rebecca when she seemed to calm down a bit.

"I don't know." Rebecca answered "I was on my way to charms class when I started to feel really funny."

"Funny how?"

"I don't know, floaty and really happy." she bit her lips "Mr. Chambers had given me a new charm for my bracelet when he got here. I really liked it, it was a star but suddenly I felt like I had to eat it. It didn't even seem weird I just ate the charm."

Minerva nodded for her to continue although she and Alan exchanged a glance. Polyjuice potion could be imbued in a physical object by a person who excelled at potions magic. It took a long time to brew it to such a distilled state and it didn't last as long as the liquid, but then this had been meticulously planned.

"Then I came here, and...and…" Rebecca paused "Did I hurt anyone? Everything is so fuzzy."

Minerva shook her head "you didn't hurt anyone Becca." she answered "and what happened wasn't your fault. You were under a curse called the Imperius curse. It makes people have to do what the caster says." she sighed and looked to Alan. "How about you and your daddy go home and see your mum?" Rebecca tilted her head.

"But…" she paused "I can't it's October. School is in session." and Minerva gave her a tight lipped smile.

"Just this once if you promise not to tell your classmates." and Rebecca nodded her head, clearly needing to be away from the school. Alan stood and shot Minerva a grateful look before taking Rebecca's hand.

"Come on love we can apparate from the gates." Rebecca went with her Father easily.

Harry who had been standing at the back of the room listening to the whole story furrowed his brow again. Speaking only when Alan had left with his daughter. "Malcolm hurt children." He ran a hand through his hair. Nothing was as it should have been.

"Sometimes." Minerva said in a way that still reminded Harry of when she had been his teacher "There is no good answer for the things people do." she sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. "Even when we wish most that there was. Let's go and check on Hermione."

The two of them left the classroom in silence. The more things that were answered the more questions Harry was left with. He still couldn't piece together how half his life had fallen so devastatingly apart in a single afternoon.


End file.
